Fox Entertainment Restructuring Its TV Staff

Fox Entertainment Group is restructuring its television development staff, moving one step closer to an approach used by NBC and ABC. Under the new structure, Bob Greenblatt will be more firmly implanted as second in command to new President Peter Roth, taking charge not only of TV shows under development but also those already on the air.

Traditionally, networks maintained discrete teams, with development executives handing over projects to “current” series teams once a show was scheduled. But NBC and recently ABC have integrated the functions to improve continuity and have reorganized separate teams around dramas and comedies.

Fox will maintain distinct current and development teams, but it said coordination between the functions should improve by having both report to Greenblatt, executive vice president of programming. Previously, the heads of development and of current reported directly to the president of the entertainment group.

“This is the first step on the road to a more fully integrated programming system,” Greenblatt said.

Under the revised structure, current programming will be divided between Jeff Eckerle, newly promoted to vice president of current drama programming, and Mark Ganshirt, who will be in charge of comedies. Ganshirt formerly was a packaging agent at ICM. The development department will remain, with comedy and drama heads reporting to Greenblatt as they did before.