Brad Bessey has been promoted to executive producer of “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insider” effective immediately, CBS Television Distribution announced Monday.
DJ Petroro, who was named EP of “Entertainment Tonight” along with Linda Fuller in November after longtime producer Linda Bell Blue was elevated to president of ET Studios, will be leaving the show, according to CBS. However, Fuller will continue as an executive producer.
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“I want to thank DJ for all of his contributions to the enduring success of ‘ET’ and previously ‘The Insider,’” Hilary Estey McLoughlin, CBS TV Distribution president of creative affairs, said in a statement.
Bessey, who has been executive producer of “The Insider” since 2012 and helped launched that entertainment series in 2004, had been with “Entertainment Tonight” for 15 years before departing to executive produce CBS’ “The Talk” in 2010.
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“After more than 15 years in the ‘ET-Insider’ family, Brad knows ‘ET’ inside and out and is the perfect person to continue to grow the brand and keep the show on top,” Estey McLoughlin said. “He’s got a great vision and the leadership skills to oversee both ‘ET’ and ‘The Insider’ and to maximize the extraordinary talent, staffs and resources of both shows.”
“‘Entertainment Tonight’ is a brand I love that has innovation and leadership in its DNA,” Bessey said in the announcement. “With my return, I am focused on evolving the brand, with a staff I believe, along with the team at ‘The Insider,’ is the best in the industry.”
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Monique Chenault was also named co-executive producer of “The Insider,” which she joins after executive producing series and specials at BET and Macvision Entertainment, including “BET Remembers Nelson Mandela” and Macvision’s “TV One on One With Cathy Hughes” for TV One.