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Steve McPherson resigns from ABC
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ABC is the new NBC?ABC Entertainment chief Steve McPherson is exiting his position running both the Disney-owned network and its sister studio effective immediately.
ABC issued the following statement:
Steve McPherson today submitted his resignation as President, ABC Entertainment Group, and the Company accepted. Mr. McPherson said, "I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time here and wish them nothing but the best." A replacement for Mr. McPherson will be announced shortly.
It doesn't come as a huge surprise considering that rumors have swirled constantly that McPherson and his boss Anne Sweeney (Disney-ABC TV Group president) have clashed for years.
This comes just a year after Sweeney signed McPherson to a multi-year agreement and expanded his role to include the Disney TV studio. It also comes on the heels of ABC's new Wednesday night comedy lineup, anchored by the Emmy-nominated "Modern Family."
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Wait...the guy's boss signed him to a multi-year deal just a year ago that expanded his role, and the network has a good comedy line-up with a breakthrough, Emmy-nominated hit, but he and that same boss had "clashed for years" and his quitting with no notice is not a surprise? What am I missing here? The last and second-to-last paragraphs seem to completely contradict each other.
He's being forced out! He is the scapegoat for ABCs ratings decline!
I was thinking the exact same thing LLC. Not a very well written article.
If this improves the dramatic drop in quality we've seen at ABC over the past two seasons, then it's great news!
Eh, that's what he gets for turning a once-proud network into Lifetime-lite.
The guy they've reportedly hired to replace him won't be any better. If Steve was Lifetime lite, the new guy is Lifetime Extra Virgin.
Still, not sure why he's being forced out other than perhaps narrowminded, shortsighted decision making and a team of yesmen that went along with it. For every great decision He made there was an equal or worse bad decision.
Cancelled Women's Murder Club, highest rated ABC show on a Friday in years with +10 million viewers, and replaced it with a series of Friday night losers. Cancelled The Forgotten for V, a series that actually received ratings that were for the most part lower. Continued to allow Brothers & Sisters to sap all the energy out of its Sunday night lineup though the series finale may signal a turnaound. There are more blunders such as their weak slate of summer shows which are being masked by the big successes. Still, he did deliver the strong comedy block that looks to be really potent this fall. ABC also received more Emmy nominations than CBS, FOX, and NBC. And there's still enough hits on the schedule to be powerful this fall but so many missed opportunites and great potential hits thrown away. He was his own worst enemy.
The pile of crap that is Steve McPherson has finally left the building!!!! I may have to start watching ABC again.
Cancelled The Unusuals.
I liked the Unusuals too. Although I am used to networks cancelling good shows.
WOW his handling with shows SUCKED... he cancelled shows that should not have been cancelled.. put shows wrongfully on hiatus.. just really bad. let's see what the new program runner will do....