Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich will deliver the fireside opening keynote at the Next TV Summit on June 20, part of the two-day L.A. TV Week conference taking place June 20-21 at Sofitel Los Angeles in Beverly Hills, Calif. 

Produced by Next TV parent company Future plc, L.A. TV Week will provide a flourishing salon to discuss current and forward-looking topics and trends impacting the video business. 

Erwich has spent two decades on the TV business’ leading edge, serving an instrumental role in building powerful platforms including Hulu. He’ll lead what promises to be a highly compelling cast of influential TV/video business heavyweights, each discussing the disruptive faultiness and opportunities of an industry being recreated before our eyes. 

The LA TV Week agenda will also feature the highly anticipated “Multichannel News Wonder Woman” and “40 Under 40” honoree events, which are produced by Next TV sibling publications Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News, and showcase pioneering people who are pushing the boundaries of innovation in the TV industry. 

You can find out more by visiting the LA TV Week landing page. ■

Disney General Entertainment said it promoted three senior executives in a management shuffle under chairman Dana Walden.

Craig Erwich was named president of ABC Entertainment, Hulu and Disney Branded Television streaming originals.

Shannon Ryan was named president, marketing, Disney General Entertainment.

Eric Schrier was named president, Disney Television Studios & Business Operations, Disney General Entertainment.

All three report to Walden, who assumed her post after Disney head of entertainment Peter Rice was fired by CEO Bob Chapek in June.

Amid the changes, Bryan Noon, who returned to Disney as president, entertainment, Walt Disney Television, from Netflix last year, will be leaving the company, after a transition period, Disney said.

“I am incredibly fortunate to be working with some of the very best executives in our industry, and Craig, Shannon and Eric are exactly that – the best. These are proven leaders with both incredible creative sensibilities and strong business acumen,” said Walden. “Additionally, they have long and impressive track records of supporting their teams and our amazing creative partners to do their very best work.”

Erwich continues to oversee ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals, adding unscripted and alternative entertainment and Disney Branded Television Streaming originals to his portfolio.

Ryan has led an internal agency responsible for the marketing and publicity for shows from ABC Entertainment, ABC News, Freeform, Hulu Originals, Onyx Collective and Disney Television Studios since 2020. She expands her purview to include Disney Branded Television and National Geographic Content.

Also: Wonder Women of Los Angeles 2022: Shannon Ryan

Schrier was president of FX Entertainment. In his new post he will work across Disney General Entertainment while leading teams from the 20th Television, 20th Television Animation and ABC Signature studios. ■

Hulu dramedy The Great, about Catherine the Great ruling Russia, will have a third season, shared Craig Erwich, president, Hulu Originals & ABC Entertainment, during the networks’ TCA Press Tour event. “At Hulu, you’re not going to get Catherine the Great as a sleepy historical drama,” Erwich said. 

Erwich shared about both Hulu and ABC. On the broadcast side, he raved about new mockumentary comedy Abbott Elementary. Creator and star Quinta Brunson “is one of the brightest and funniest new voices to emerge on television,” he said, calling the classroom comedy “a worthy successor to The Office.”

Erwich said Hulu features “a library of many of the best shows ever made” and saluted the live events on ABC, including the Oscars and the CMAs. The Academy Awards, Erwich said, will have a host. Will Packer will produce. “Will really has his finger on the pulse of popular culture and entertainment,” said Erwich. 

Erwich described a “very complementary relationship with minimal audience duplication” between ABC and Hulu. He pointed out Dancing with the Stars getting scores of young viewers on its Hulu airings. ABC series can triple and even quadruple their viewership on Hulu, he added. 

“We’re not throwing anything at the wall to see what sticks,” he said, adding that “each platform has a different opportunity for the artist to tell their story.”

The best measure of a Hulu series, he said, is its cultural impact. He singled out Only Murders in the Building, Pen15 and Dopesick for making a major mark. Only Murders, he added, is Hulu’s most watched comedy. 

Coming up is Pam & Tommy February 2, about Pam Anderson, Tommy Lee, and one of their home movies. Erwich called it “one of the wildest, sharpest, most entertaining shows Hulu has ever launched.”

And back on the ABC side, Erwich was asked about Grey’s Anatomy, which got a season 19 order yesterday. 

“It’s still at the top of its game creatively,” said Erwich, who called it “our most watched drama.”

There’s no end in sight for the doc drama. “We will have as much Grey’s as we can have,” Erwich said. ■

Continuing the restructuring as the Walt Disney Co. emphasizes streaming, Walt Disney TV Chairman of Entertainment Dana Walden announced that Touchstone Television was being folded into 20th Television and that Karey Burke would move from president of ABC Entertainment to head the consolidated TV studio.

ABC entertainment programming will be overseen by Craig Erwich, who continues to oversee Hulu Originals as president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment.

Related: Radio Disney Shutting Down in First Quarter

Craig Hunegs, who had been president of Disney Television Studios, will become president of Entertainment, Walt Disney Television, working with Walden across all business units and leading business affairs, productions, casting and creative development and inclusion teams. Hunegs will also oversee 20th Animation and a newly formed production unit for unscripted programming.

Bert Salke, who had been president of Touchstone Television, gets a multi-year overall producing deal with Disney Television Studios.

ABC Signature remains separate from 20th Television and continues to be run by President Jonnie Davis.

Tara Duncan, president of Freeform, will oversee original content for the cable network. She will also be responsible for building a roster of diverse creators for all Disney TV platforms.

Under Burke at 20th Television, Carolyn Cassidy, who had been president, will become executive VP, development; and Jane Francis is moving from Touchstone to serve as executive VP, series, overseeing ongoing shows.  

Disney recently separated its creative efforts from distribution and sales in order to focus on content for streaming platform Disney Plus and Hulu. The studios, under Walden, develop content for the streaming services as well as Disney’s linear networks and third parties.

“The changes we are announcing today are in service of three goals: rightsizing our organization, streamlining functions across our studios and original content teams, and strengthening our partnerships with the extraordinary creators who call Disney Television Studios their home,” Walden said.

It was unclear how the new structure would affect staffing levels.

Erwich and Tara Duncan, the president of Freeform, will have oversight of the original content teams responsible for choosing and managing development slates and greenlighting shows. Erwich will oversee Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, and Duncan will oversee Freeform. Both will continue to report to Walden. 

The new structure means that the Touchstone TV brand will be “sunsetted,”’ the company said, but Salke will remain working for Disney.

“We feel incredibly fortunate that Bert has chosen to set his production company up with Disney Television Studios,” said Walden. “He has impeccable taste and no one works harder or is more committed to creators, whether they are new voices or long-established hit makers. Writers can feel his passion and dedication, and that creates an environment where they can do great work.”

As previously announced, the restructuring also includes the centralization of marketing and publicity under Shannon Ryan, president, content marketing, Hulu and General Entertainment.

“This new organization under Dana will allow us to compete amidst a transforming industry by attracting the best talent, encouraging creative risk and facilitating the creation of groundbreaking series,” said Peter Rice, chairman, Disney General Entertainment Content, who in addition to Disney Television oversees units including FX and ABC News. “Dana is a hall of fame television executive leading an all-star team of the best and brightest creative leaders in Hollywood.”

Walden laid out the changes in a memos  to staff.

Here’s the memo:

Dear Team, 

In a few moments we will be announcing changes to the business units under my purview. This has been an extraordinarily difficult year, to say the least, and I am so grateful to you all for stepping up to meet challenge after challenge.  Our industry has been altered forever, and we are reorganizing to position ourselves strongly for the future and create an even better experience for our creative partners.  

The changes announced today follow the recent reorganization at The Walt Disney Company, which was designed to accelerate growth in its direct-to-consumer businesses. As part of that plan, the Company separated content creation from distribution and commercialization. Our role is to supply breakthrough original content to Disney’s best-in-class streaming platforms Disney+ and Hulu, linear networks and third-party platforms; and to choose the original content that will fuel the Hulu Originals, ABC Entertainment and Freeform programming slates.  

I am very lucky to be working with a group of leaders who are both gifted executives, and caring and compassionate people.  Throughout the planning for today's announcement, we spent countless hours evaluating the best structure for our businesses and our teams.  We believe that is what we have achieved.  And, our new simplified structure will facilitate clarity of responsibilities and stronger partnerships with our talented colleagues inside Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. 

Here is how we are evolving our organization:  

Disney Television Studios will be consolidated into two studio teams led by Karey Burke and Jonnie Davis. 

Karey will move over from her role as President of ABC Entertainment and become the President of 20th Television, reporting to me. As part of this restructure, the Touchstone Television banner will sunset and its operations will be rolled into 20th Television. Working with Karey at the newly expanded studio, Carolyn Cassidy will serve as Executive Vice President, Development; and Jane Francis moves from Touchstone Television to become Executive Vice President, Series.

Jonnie will continue as President of ABC Signature, but will now report directly to me. 

Bert Salke will transition from President of Touchstone Television to a new multi-year overall producing deal with Disney Television Studios.  

Tara Duncan will continue as President of Freeform and will be responsible for building a roster of diverse creators to develop series across all platforms.

Craig Erwich will continue leading the Hulu Originals team and will additionally assume responsibilities previously held by Karey Burke at ABC Entertainment.  He will now serve as President of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment.

Craig Hunegs will move from his role as President of Disney Television Studios to President of Entertainment for Walt Disney Television, working with me across all areas.  He will lead newly centralized Business Affairs, Production, Casting and Creative Talent Development & Inclusion teams. He'll also oversee 20th Animation and a newly formed production unit for Unscripted Programming.

And as previously announced, Shannon Ryan will serve as President, Content Marketing, Hulu and General Entertainment, managing the creative marketing, publicity, media planning, events, talent relations and awards strategy for all the programming created across our group. 

The release below further details our new structure. 

These are exceptional creative leaders who have strong relationships throughout our industry and have already accomplished so much. I am certain they will continue to foster an environment where creators, showrunners, producers, directors and talent can do their very best work, and I am confident that their leadership will inspire all of you to do the same. 

I know there is discomfort with change, but I am optimistic about our future and am looking forward to working with you as we embark on this new chapter together. 

With gratitude, 

Dana

Hulu’s original series chief believes the Walt Disney Company will continue to back his joint-venture subscription streaming platform, despite its plans to launch its own SVOD service later this year.

“Hulu is a very important strategic asset for our owners,” said Craig Erwich, senior VP of original programming, told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, Calif. Monday.

Erwich noted Hulu’s 48% year-over-year subscriber growth in 2018 to 25 million users. “You don’t get that kind of growth without the support of our ownership,” he said.

Related: TCA 2019: Hulu To Premiere 'Catch 22' in May; Releases Video Trailer

Disney is in the process of absorbing 21st Century Fox, another co-owner in Hulu, and will have a 60% ownership stake in the platform when that acquisition is completed.

The conglomerate is also in the process of launching Disney+, a subscription streaming home for movies and TV shows, which Disney CEO Bob Iger recently labeled “the biggest priority” of 2019 for the company.

Speaking during Hulu’s fourth-quarter earnings call last week, Iger said he’d be better able to lay out long term plans for Hulu once the Fox deal closes. For now, he continues to speak in broad strokes, noting Hulu’s place in Disney’s audience grand segmentation plans that not only involve Disney+, but ESPN+, as well.

“What we said when we decided to launch ESPN+ and Disney+ is that rather than creating one gigantic fat bundle of sports, general entertainment programming and family programming, we thought we'd serve the consumer better by segregating all three,” Iger said.

“Ultimately, our goal would be to use the same tech platform to make it easier for people to sign up for all three should they want to, same credit card, same username, same password, et cetera, but give the consumer the kind of choice that we think consumers are going to demand more and more in today's world,” he added. 

Hulu and Twentieth Century Fox reached an agreement Monday that gives Hulu exclusive off-network streaming rights to Showtime’s Homeland.

Seasons one through four of Homeland — starring Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin — are now available on the OTT platform, their first launch on a non-Showtime streaming service. In June, Showtime ordered three more seasons of Homeland from the Fox studio. Season six is slated to premiere in early 2017.

“On the heels of another critically acclaimed season and multiple Emmy nominations, Homelandis the perfect addition to Hulu’s growing library of premium exclusive programming,” said Craig Erwich, senior VP and head of content, Hulu, which also bundles in full subscriptions of Showtime for an additional $8.99 monthly. 

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.