ABC surprisingly announced today that ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee has resigned. He will be replaced by Channing Dungey.
Dungey was most recently the executive vice president of Drama Development, Movies & Miniseries for ABC Entertainment group. Prior to that, she was Drama Development vice president at ABC Studios. During her tenure at ABC, the network has seen dramas like Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, American Crime, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD and the new Quantico become hits. She becomes the first African American to lead a major broadcasting network.
“Channing is a gifted leader and a proven magnet for top creative talent, with an impressive record of developing compelling, breakthrough programming that resonates with viewers,” Ben Sherwood, co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group, said in a statement. ““We thank Paul for his many accomplishments at ABC and his devotion to the ABC brand, and we wish him continued success in the future.”
Lee said leading ABC was a “fantastic experience” and wished Dungey and ABC Studios executive vice president Patrick Moran the best of luck.
Prior to ABC’s statement, The New York Times reported that Lee was leaving after a power struggle between him and Sherwood. While Lee was more interested in serialized dramas like Scandal, Sherwood preferred procedural crime shows. And while Lee has produced critical hits, the network has failed to see them turn into ratings smashes.