Happy Holidays

Media Boy UK HQ would like to wish Happy Holidays to everyone who view this blog. Don't forget Media Boy UK launches on January 4th 2025 on Blue Sky.

Thursday, 10 August 2023

Deadline; A+E Networks Shake-Up: Amy Winter & Tanya Lopez Exit, Elaine Frontain Bryant To Oversee Lifetime

Story from Deadline:

A+E Networks is the latest entertainment company to undergo a shake-up.

Deadline understands that the company has made a small number of cuts to its programming team.

Amy Winter, EVP and Head of Programming at Lifetime, is leaving the company with Elaine Frontain Bryant, who is EVP and Head of Programming at A&E, now overseeing the Married At First Sight broadcaster.

Tanya Lopez, who is Executive Vice President of Scripted Content at Lifetime, is also leaving and will be transitioning into a production deal with A+E Networks, where she will continue to package and produce Lifetime Original Movies.

Elsewhere, we hear that John Verhoff, an exec producer at History, is also exiting.

Eli Lehrer is also adding music services to his job as EVP and Head of The History Channel Programming Genres and Music Services.

Winter joined in 2020, from UpTV, where she was EVP and General Manager. In her three year tenure, she oversaw development and execution of programming including movies, scripted and unscripted for Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network.

Prior to UpTV, she was with Discovery between 2005 and 2013, as EVP and General Manager of TLC, where she greenlit series including Long Island Medium, Breaking Amish and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

Lopez has been with Lifetime in 2007 where she has been responsible for developing and overseeing all feature and original movies, limited series and movie acquisitions for the network. Lopez joined Lifetime from ICM, where she was a television packaging agent from 1987 to 2006. Prior to ICM, Lopez was Vice President of Drama Series at CBS after beginning her career at William Morris.

The move sees Frontain Bryant take on her duties as EVP & Head of Programming Genres for A&E, Lifetime and LMN. It sees parent company A+E Networks bring the networks under one head again.

The Head of Programming role at Lifetime had previously been split between Gena McCarthy and Tanya Lopez following the departure of Liz Gateley in 2018. McCarthy exited in 2021 and recently launched her own production company Unconventional Entertainment with Sony Pictures Television.

Frontain Bryant has been in her current role since 2015 and has been behind series such as Emmy winner Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, Born This Way and Live PD. She reports to Rob Sharenow, President, Programming, A+E Networks.

Elsewhere, Verhoff has been with the company for a number of years and has exec produced series including Mountain Men, Ice Road Truckers and American Pickers.

“Elaine and Eli are proven leaders with unapparelled track records of developing hit franchises and first-in-class content that resonates with viewers and drives the success of our industry-leading brands. Both executives possess a unique mix of creative prowess, deep relationships in the creative community and an exceptional understanding of the type of content viewers crave. I’m confident Elaine and Eli will continue to elevate these storied brands and drive our future success,” said Rob Sharenow, President of Programming for A+E Networks. “Lifetime is fortunate to have Tanya continuing to produce original movies for the brand that she has been instrumental in building through the years.”

“Lifetime has an enviable legacy of powerful storytelling for women and I’m honored to be trusted with spearheading content for one of the most iconic brands in entertainment,” added Frontain Bryant. “I look forward to working with the incredibly talented Lifetime and LMN programming teams to create new, buzzworthy programming that resonates with our passionate fan base and brings in new audiences. Together with the A&E team and our partners at History, A+E Networks is poised to continue as a leader in quality original programming.”

© 2023 Deadline Hollywood.