Dennis Miller will step down as the president of The CW starting on Oct. 31, TheWrap has learned. He will continue to serve in an advisory role toward the end of the year. Brad Schwartz, who was previously president of entertainment for the network, will take over the position.
Miller first assumed the role in October of 2022 and was appointed by Nexstar CEO Perry Sook. To take the position, Miller stepped down from his role on the board of Nexstar, which he held from 2014 until 2022. There are currently no plans for him to return to his board position. This news is especially surprising as Miller extended his contract last year to remain president of the broadcast network through 2027.
“I’ve had a front row seat during a remarkable 11-year run with Nexstar and enjoyed navigating this period of significant transformation for the network,” Miller said in a statement to press. “With some of the highest ratings The CW has seen in years and long-term contracts with an array of premium live sports in place, the future of The CW looks very promising.”
“We were fortunate when Dennis agreed to move from Nexstar’s Board to lead the transformation of The CW,” Perry Sook, Nexstar’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement to press. “During his tenure, he installed a new leadership team at The CW, and they have broadened the appeal of its programming and enhanced the value of its affiliations for both Nexstar and our partners. With The CW now well positioned for continued success, we’re pleased to let Dennis move on to new challenges. We are grateful for his guidance on Nexstar’s Board and at the helm of The CW, and we wish him the very best.”
Under Miller’s leadership as network president, The CW has completely transformed. The network has broadcast live sports for the first time in its history with events from ACC college football and basketball to PAC 12 football and LIV
Golf generating some of the highest ratings the network has seen in years. Additionally, the debuts of WWE NXT wrestling and NASCAR Xfinity racing this fall have already delivered record ratings in both total viewers and key demographics.
Wrestling and racing aren’t the only new ventures the network has explored this season. The CW has also dipped its toes into the game show space with “Scrabble” and “Trivial Pursuit.”
Though the introduction of broader programming has infuriated many fans of the previous iteration of the network, it’s saved The CW a lot of money while boosting its viewership. In August, Nexstar reported it was on track with its plan to trim CW losses by $100 million by the end of the year, according to Nexstar’s second quarter earnings report. That report also revealed that The CW’s operating loss improved by $33 million in the second quarter, year-over-year.
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