or


[06/15/04 - 12:00 AM]
Janollari In, Levin Out as the WB Reorganizes
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The WB is set to undergo a major reorganization as the Frog announced this week Jordan Levin, the network's Chief Executive Officer, has stepped down from his post giving Garth Ancier, Chairman of The WB Television Network, sole oversight of The WB.

In addition, Ancier has named David Janollari the network's new President of Entertainment.

Both announcements were detailed via press release:

GARTH ANCIER TO HAVE SOLE LEADERSHIP OF THE WB

JORDAN LEVIN SEGUES TO WBTV PRODUCTION DEAL

PRESIDENT OF ENTERTAINMENT TO BE NAMED

In a reorganization of The WB's operational structure, Garth Ancier, Chairman of The WB Television Network, will have sole oversight of The WB, and will bring in a President of Entertainment, who will be in charge of primetime and Kids' WB! programming, it was announced today by Barry M. Meyer, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

In the new structure, Ancier will continue to report to Meyer; Bruce Rosenblum, Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Television Group will continue to have day-to-day corporate responsibility for The WB. Jordan Levin, CEO of The WB, who equally shared running the Network with Ancier, has decided to shed his network executive duties, instead of modifying them and becoming President of Entertainment, and has signed an Independent Production deal with Warner Bros. Television.

Last September, Ancier and Levin split up the responsibilities of running the network, serving as Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, respectively, with network founder Jamie Kellner. Upon Kellner's official retirement from the Network in May, Ancier's title became Chairman and Levin's Chief Executive Officer, whereby the two co-managed The WB and reported directly to Meyer.

"This is a win-win for all of us," said Meyer. "Taking a non-traditional organizational route was a noble effort, but having a sole leader is simply more productive, efficient and effective. Garth and Jordan are both extraordinarily talented executives and superstars in their own right. We are delighted Jordan will become an independent producer for Warner Bros. Television. One cannot overstate Jordan's contribution to the success of The WB, and we look forward to him duplicating that success at WBTV. The WB, with its strong line-up, excellent new programs for the fall and Garth and his long-time, inimitable executive team at the helm, will continue to grow and thrive."

"I appreciate Barry's confidence in me and I'm looking forward to the challenge of building upon the great success The WB has already achieved," said Ancier. "Jordan's contributions to our success have been enormous. When the book is written he will be as important in the story as any single person. Jordan and I worked together at Disney and I brought him over to The WB as soon as I got here, which was the best decision I ever made. He leaves a legacy of quality and integrity to the product."

"We have a very senior staff at The WB, most of whom have worked here since day one and many of us go all the way back to the Fox launch in 1986, and we will continue to run like a well-oiled machine. The plan is to add a President of Entertainment, who will be my partner in leading the creative direction of the Network. There are some excellent candidates out there and we plan to announce our decision in the coming days."

"The WB has been my home for 10 years now and I have great respect for all my co-workers, the best group of executives in the industry," said Levin. "We've accomplished historic feats and have created a well-branded and defined network that is an important force in the industry. There were inevitable management hiccups that would occur as Jamie (Kellner) left and Barry (Meyer) and the studio officially took over. They had a management structure in mind that although would have allowed me to continue to drive the creative direction of the company, did not allow me the opportunities and responsibilities that I had already embraced with great enthusiasm.

"Working with our talented sales team, we just completed a very successful upfront, where not only was our development season applauded, but, as importantly, we hit our business plan for the upfront. We have successfully launched a more year-round strategy with the successful debut of 'Summerland,' and we have just completed a reinvigoration of our on-air marketing look. I enjoyed the process of all of these areas and I look forward to my next opportunity to work in all of these disciplines.

"So although the job of President of Entertainment at The WB is a great one, it is a job I have already done and my goals are to continue my career as both a creative and a business executive."

DAVID JANOLLARI NAMED PRESIDENT OF ENTERTAINMENT THE WB NETWORK

David Janollari has been named President of Entertainment for The WB Network, it was announced today by Garth Ancier, Chairman of The WB. As President of Entertainment, Janollari will be responsible for Primetime Program Development including Series, Movies and Specials; Primetime Current Programming and Scheduling as well as Kids WB! Programming. Janollari joins The WB from the award winning The Greenblatt Janollari Studio which he co-founded with producing partner Bob Greenblatt. The Greenblatt Janollari Studio presently has four primetime series on the air including the critically acclaimed "Six Feet Under" for HBO, "Eve" and "One on One" for UPN and "American Family" for PBS. "David's success making award-winning series that people talk about and tune in to combined with his stellar record as a creative executive at Warner Bros. Television and Fox, make him the perfect choice to lead our Entertainment division into The WB's second decade," said Ancier. "He brings great contacts, excellent taste and a proven track record, what more can you ask for." "I am thrilled and excited to join The WB," said Janollari. "I can't thank Garth, Barry (Meyer) and Bruce (Rosenblum) enough for their confidence in me, and I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues as well as many of my old friends from my Warner Bros. Television and Fox days." Janollari has an extensive background with Warner Bros. Television; having been instrumental in bringing "Friends" creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane to the Studio, while head of comedy development, under then WBTV President Leslie Moonves. Other series under his aegis at WBTV include the long-running hit "The Drew Carey Show," "Living Single" and "Suddenly Susan" as well as two of The WB's highest-rated comedies "The Jamie Foxx Show" and "The Wayans Bros." Janollari joins The WB from having been president of The Greenblatt Janollari Studio, an independent television production company currently producing four television series, including the twice Emmy-nominated series "Six Feet Under," winner of the 2001 Golden Globe for Best Drama Series, and 2003 recipient of the George Foster Peabody Award. He also executive produces UPN's sophomore comedy "Eve," nominated for four Teen Choice Awards, including Best Comedy Series, as well as "One on One," now in its fourth season on UPN. In addition, Janollari also produced "American Family," the first and only Latino drama on network television which recently concluded its airing on PBS. The Greenblatt Janollari Studio also produced the hit comedy "The Hughleys," which is in its second season in domestic syndication. Janollari and his producing partner Robert Greenblatt were honored at the Inaugural Producers Guild of America's "Celebration of Diversity" awards program for their ability to broaden the industry's horizons with the production of "Six Feet Under," and they were also awarded the 2004 Producer's Guild's Norman Felton Award for Excellence in Producing. Prior to his work as an executive at Warner Bros. Television, Janollari was the director of comedy development at the Fox Broadcasting Company.





  [june 2004]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· AMERICAN FAMILY (PBS)
· DREW CAREY SHOW, THE (ABC)
· EVE (UPN)
· FRIENDS (NBC)
· HUGHLEYS, THE (UPN)
· JAMIE FOXX SHOW, THE (WB)
· ONE ON ONE (UPN)
· SIX FEET UNDER (HBO)
· SUDDENLY SUSAN (NBC)





[03/04/26 - 11:31 AM]
"Disney Animation's Songs in Sign Language" to Debut on Disney+ April 27
Directed by veteran Disney animator/director Hyrum Osmond, the featured songs are "The Next Right Thing" (from Frozen 2), "We Don't Talk About Bruno" (from Encanto) and "Beyond" (from Moana 2).

[03/04/26 - 11:03 AM]
Video: HBO Max Releases First Teaser from the DC Studios Series "Lanterns," Starring Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, and Kelly Macdonald
The series is slated to debut later this August on HBO and available to stream on HBO Max.

[03/04/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Untamed" Season 2 Production Kicks Off in Hawaii
The series will film on location on O'ahu and the island of Hawaii.

[03/04/26 - 10:01 AM]
MTV Announces the Final 18 Episodes of "Jersey Shore Family Vacation," One of TV's Most Influential Reality Franchises, Premiering on Thursday, May 7 at 8PM ET/PT
This farewell season marks the culmination of a franchise that entertained millions with major life milestones, laugh-out-loud chaos, and the unfiltered chemistry that defined an era of reality television.

[03/04/26 - 09:46 AM]
"The Verdict," Hosted by Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo, Returns to Vice TV For Season Two, Taking on the Biggest Debates in Sports
In each episode, Russo and a lineup of sports insiders, journalists, and analysts get to the bottom of the hottest debates in sports history, presenting both sides through a fast-paced documentary debate format.

[03/04/26 - 09:45 AM]
Lifetime Raises the Bar by Expanding Into Premium Vertical Storytelling with "Tides of Temptation," A Micro Drama Feature Executive Produced by Taye Diggs
Serving as a digital offshoot of the just announced upcoming original movie "Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You," the project expands the film's universe through a cinematic, mobile-first format designed with feature-level production value.

[03/04/26 - 09:44 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights Three New Original Movies for 2026 Love of a Lifetime Slates Featuring All-Star Casts
Valerie Bertinelli, Henry Czerny, Eric McCormack, Taye Diggs, Heather Hemmens, and Cynthia Bailey are among the featured talent.

[03/04/26 - 09:43 AM]
Lifetime Reteams with Robin Roberts for "Angel in the Rubble" Starring Sherri Shepherd in Remembrance of the 25th Anniversary of 9/11
Slated to premiere in September in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the movie is based on Genelle Guzman-McMillan's memoir "Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11's Last Survivor."

[03/04/26 - 09:42 AM]
Lifetime Expands Roster of Powerhouse Creatives with New Movie Projects Helmed By Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson
"Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson are extraordinary talents and dynamic producers who share Lifetime's passion for telling powerful stories about women," said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, A&E, Lifetime and LMN.

[03/04/26 - 09:41 AM]
A+E Global Media Greenlights Two New Digital-First Series Under the History Brand
"Mistakes That Made America" and "Cracking Up" are both due later this year.

[03/04/26 - 09:40 AM]
The History Channel Marks the 25th Anniversary of September 11 with New Two-Hour Special "102 Minutes Inside the Towers"
The documentary offers a deeply immersive and unique perspective through firsthand accounts from those who were inside the Twin Towers.

[03/04/26 - 09:39 AM]
The History Channel Taps Internationally Acclaimed Action Icon Dolph Lundgren to Executive Produce and Host New Series "History's Greatest Machines with Dolph Lundgren"
Produced by Superluna Studios in association with 3BMG, the eight-episode series takes viewers on a thrilling journey through the gears, guts, and genius behind the machines that reshaped our world.

[03/04/26 - 09:38 AM]
The History Channel Greenlights New Nonfiction Series "Crime and Justice with Tom Selleck" (w.t.)
The 10-episode, one-hour series examines the true stories behind some of the most consequential crimes and investigations in American history.

[03/04/26 - 09:37 AM]
The History Channel Orders "Extraordinary Origins with Ted Danson" (w.t.) A New Series Hosted and Executive Produced by the Multi-Award-Winning Actor
The 10-episode series examines the stories behind some of history's most significant innovations, inventions, and discoveries that helped shape the modern world.

[03/04/26 - 09:36 AM]
The History Channel Greenlights New Nonfiction Series "History's Strange Fortunes with Kevin Bacon" (w.t.)
Stories about money - money made, money lost, and money spent - are woven into the fabric of our nation's history.