AMC Networks has promoted BBC America boss Sarah Barnett to president of its whole portfolio of entertainment networks, which includes AMC, BBC America, SundanceTV and IFC. She will also oversee streaming service AMC Premiere.
Barnett (pictured above) is not the only one updating her business cards. David Madden, currently the president of programming for AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios, will add BBC America and IFC to his docket. Linda Schupack will now be the president of marketing across all of the national networks. She will report to Barnett. Madden and Barnett both report to company COO Ed Carroll.
These moves are the result of ongoing restructuring. Roughly 40 employees are expected to lose their jobs as part of the organization shift, a person with knowledge of the restructuring told TheWrap. The repositioning of assets was overseen by Jen Caserta, former president and general manager of IFC.
Charlie Collier left AMC last month to become entertainment CEO of “New Fox.”
“Sarah is an incredibly talented executive who has distinguished herself leading BBC America and, prior to that, SundanceTV, to new heights with acclaimed shows that have redefined each brand,” Carroll said Monday in a statement. “She stands out for being an inspired thinker and innovator who brings a deep knowledge of the business, strong creative instincts and excellent leadership skills to this new role, and she’s well-positioned to make even more significant contributions to our success as we strategically shift to an enterprise-wide structure across our scripted entertainment networks.”
“With his breadth of experience and track record of success, David is as good as it gets when it comes to making compelling content people care about,” Carroll added of Madden. “I look forward to working with him and his team even more closely in this new role as he leverages his expertise across all four of our scripted entertainment networks and AMC Studios.”
“I’m privileged to work closely with David, whose creative chops and deep experience and relationships are going to fuel our forward momentum,” Barnett said of him. “David is a singular talent and I can’t wait to work more closely with him.”
“Linda is a clear leader in entertainment marketing, having engaged fans over many years across some of the most iconic and well-known series in television history,” she added of Schupack. “Her innovation in blending performance marketing with consistent creative excellence is exactly what is needed for the changing landscape of entertainment.”
Here are some more key Barnett reports, a list that includes some more new promotions:
- Blake Callaway, executive director, who will continue to oversee IFC.
- Jan Diedrichsen, executive director, who will continue to oversee SundanceTV and the Sundance Now streaming service.
- Courtney Thomasma, who will be promoted to executive director, overseeing BBC America.
- Marnie Black, executive vice president, public relations, who will continue to oversee all consumer public relations functions for AMC, SundanceTV and Sundance Now, and expand her responsibility to now include BBC America and IFC.
- Tom Halleen, executive vice president, programming strategy, acquisitions and scheduling, will continue to oversee scheduling, acquisitions, and promo planning & strategy functions across AMC and SundanceTV, and expand his responsibility to now include BBC America, IFC and WE tv.
- Mac McKean, executive vice president, Innovation, who will continue to oversee AMC Premiere and expand his responsibility for digital, gaming and new products across AMC, BBC America, SundanceTV and IFC.