21st Century Fox Unites Fox Broadcasting Company and 20th Century Fox Television under the Leadership of Gary Newman and Dana Walden in New Business Unit, Fox Television Group

Gary Newman and Dana Walden Chairmen and CEOs of Fox Television Group (Photo: Business Wire)

NEW YORK--()--21st Century Fox today announced that Dana Walden and Gary Newman will oversee a new business unit within Fox Networks Group, Fox Television Group, which will combine Fox Broadcasting Company (FBC) and 20th Century Fox Television (TCFTV). The announcement was made by Peter Rice, Chairman of Fox Networks Group, to whom both Mr. Newman and Ms. Walden will now report. Their respective appointments are effective later this month.

In their new roles as Chairmen and CEOs of Fox Television Group, Mr. Newman and Ms. Walden will be responsible for all facets of the FOX broadcast network, including programming, digital, marketing and other functions. The new roles also call for the duo to continue oversight of 20th Century Fox Television, which they have led for the past 15 years. 20th Century Fox Television is comprised of the parent studio, cable production arms Fox 21 and Fox Television Studios, the licensing division Fox Consumer Products and the syndication division Twentieth Television. While both companies will be housed within Fox Television Group, FBC and TCFTV will continue to operate as independent entities, but will share financial and creative goals, and be led jointly by Ms. Walden and Mr. Newman.

Fox Television Group will operate as a division of Fox Networks Group, which also oversees 21st Century Fox’s domestic entertainment, sports and non-fiction channels, as well as Fox International Channels’ collection of more than 300 channels worldwide.

“As we look to the future of the broadcast television business, it is clear that the best path forward is to operate our creative and broadcast divisions under the leadership of a single team, and that Gary and Dana are the perfect executives to take on this new role,” said Chase Carey, President and COO of 21st Century Fox. “While TCFTV and FBC will each continue as an open supplier and an open network, respectively, the closer alignment of these two properties, coupled with a unified vision from Dana and Gary, gives us a clear advantage in creating even more hit content that will benefit both businesses. We are incredibly fortunate to have two such accomplished leaders already under our roof to take on these important new roles.”

"Over the past 15 years, Dana and Gary have raised the bar for the rest of the industry with respect to creative vision, close-knit relationships with top talent and an unmatched track record of hit programming," said Mr. Rice. "At a time when the demand for content has never been higher, there is no doubt that we strengthen and galvanize our television business – both from a creative and programming standpoint – with Gary and Dana taking on these vital new leadership roles.”

Named Presidents of 20th Century Fox Television in December 1999, and later elevated to Chairmen and then Chairmen and CEOs, Mr. Newman and Ms. Walden have built the studio into an undisputed industry leader. They delivered six of the most celebrated hits of the past five seasons in MODERN FAMILY, HOMELAND, AMERICAN HORROR STORY, GLEE, NEW GIRL and most recently, SLEEPY HOLLOW, Fox’s #1 new series. The studio’s long-running BONES, FAMILY GUY and THE SIMPSONS continue to deliver huge audiences, and its two cable production arms, Fox 21 and Fox Television Studios, are thriving, producing some of cable’s most popular and distinctive series including FX co-productions SONS OF ANARCHY, TYRANT and THE AMERICANS. The studio’s roster includes forty series on more than a dozen broadcast, cable and digital platforms, regularly leads its competitors in award nominations and reaches more than one billion people every week across the globe in as many as 180 countries, across six continents, in 30 different languages.

“We are grateful to Peter, Chase and James for this extraordinary vote of confidence,” commented Walden and Newman. “The time is right to unite these divisions. Television has never been more creatively vibrant and the business has never been more dynamic. Our goal is to make FBC the number one destination for creators with big visions and bold ideas, because our guiding principle has always been ‘talent first.’ We are humbled by the challenges and exhilarated by the opportunities ahead. It’s an exciting time.”

About Twentieth Century Fox Television

A division of 21st Century Fox, Twentieth Century Fox Television is one of the industry's most prolific suppliers of primetime television programming and entertainment content, including the blockbuster and Emmy and Golden Globe winning "Modern Family," Fox’s No. 1 new series “Sleepy Hollow,” the pop culture phenomenon and Golden Globe winning "Glee," the celebrated anthology series "American Horror Story," and the longest running primetime scripted series in the history of television, "The Simpsons." The studio recently returned the Emmy Award-winning "24" to the airwaves with the event series “Live Another Day,” and its cable production divisions Fox 21 and Fox Television Studios are responsible for the smash hits “Homeland,” “Sons of Anarchy” and “The Americans.” 20th Century Fox Television is comprised of the parent studio, cable production arms Fox 21 and Fox Television Studios, the licensing division Fox Consumer Products and the syndication division Twentieth Television.

About Fox Broadcasting Company

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), a unit of 21st Century Fox, is home to some of the highest-rated and most acclaimed series on television, including AMERICAN IDOL, THE FOLLOWING, NEW GIRL, GLEE, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY and SLEEPY HOLLOW. FOX is the only network to ever rank No. 1 in the key adult demographic for eight consecutive seasons and continues to dominate all network competition in the more targeted Adults 18-34 and Teen demographics. FOX airs 15 hours of primetime programming a week, as well as major sports and Sunday morning news. “Like” FOX on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FOXTV and follow the network on Twitter @FOXTV. For additional information about FOX, please visit www.fox.com.

About Fox Networks Group

Fox Networks Group is a primary operating unit of 21st Century Fox (NASDAQ:FOXA) and consists of Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), FOX Sports Media Group, the company's national and regional cable programming services, FOX International Channels and Fox Networks Engineering & Operations. These units produce, program and transmit much of America's most popular entertainment, sports and information content via 44 owned-and-operated and joint venture TV networks, video on demand and other media platforms. FOX is America's most popular network; Fox Networks Group cable channels span FX, FXX, FXM, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo Mundo, FSN and 22 regional cable sports networks, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FOX Soccer Plus, FOX College Sports, FOX Deportes, FOX Life, Baby TV, BTN (co-venture with the Big Ten Conference), additionally digital extensions including BTN2Go, FOX Sports GO, FXNOW, and Nat Geo TV. FOX International Channels features U.S. Spanish-language broadcast net MundoFox, in addition to more than 300 networks delivered in 48 languages across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The division also includes Fox Sports Enterprises, which manages interests in sports franchises.

About 21st Century Fox

21st Century Fox is the world's premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. Reaching over 1.5 billion subscribers in approximately 50 local languages every day, 21st Century Fox is home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FOX Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic Channels, MundoFox, STAR India, 28 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 300 channels that comprise Fox International Channels; film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film; and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and Shine Group. The Company also provides premium content to millions of subscribers through its pay-television services in Europe and Asia, including Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia and its equity interests in BSkyB and Tata Sky. For more information about 21st Century Fox, please visit www.21CF.com.

Contacts

Press:
21st Century Fox
Dan Berger, 310-369-1274
dberger@21cf.com
or
20th Century Fox Television
Chris Alexander, 310-369-2733
Chris.alexander@fox.com
or
Fox Broadcasting Company
Shannon Ryan, 310-369-4409
Shannon.ryan@fox.com

Contacts

Press:
21st Century Fox
Dan Berger, 310-369-1274
dberger@21cf.com
or
20th Century Fox Television
Chris Alexander, 310-369-2733
Chris.alexander@fox.com
or
Fox Broadcasting Company
Shannon Ryan, 310-369-4409
Shannon.ryan@fox.com