Entertainment - Reuters/Variety TV
Sohmer Leaves ABC, Silverman Stays
Mon Mar 10, 3:01 AM ET Add Entertainment - Reuters/Variety TV to My Yahoo!
By Michael Schneider
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - One TV veteran -- programming consultant Fred Silverman -- has renewed his relationship with ABC, while another --marketing executive Steve Sohmer -- has left the Disney-owned network.
Sohmer had spent just seven months at ABC as executive vice president of marketing, advertising and promotion before handing in his resignation last week.
The departure once again makes Mike Benson ABC's senior marketing executive; Benson had been running the department on an interim basis before Sohmer's arrival.
In the wake of Sohmer's departure, individual department chiefs within the marketing department will report to ABC Television Entertainment Chairman Lloyd Braun through the end of the season; a permanent replacement is expected to be named by then.
Sohmer joined ABC in August, just in time to lead the network through its fall 2002 launch. Under his guidance, the network opened shows such as "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" to solid audiences.
The exec also climbed on board as the network was abandoning its longtime yellow-centric campaign. Sohmer put his mark on promos through slogans such as "Super Monday," "Better Night, Better Time" (for "The Practice's" move to Mondays) and "Hold Your Breath Sunday."
Many of those slogans were reminiscent of Sohmer's 1980s legacy at the Brandon Tartikoff-era NBC, where he helped create campaigns such as "Be There." But some of ABC's marketing decisions this season also rubbed program suppliers the wrong way, giving Sohmer a bumpy relationship with some producers as well as some internal ABC department heads.
Ultimately, though, insiders said Sohmer opted to leave after he realized that the marketing chief job has changed from the days when he led teams at CBS and NBC.
Prior to ABC, Sohmer had spent five years at Pax TV and two years at Sony.
Meanwhile, ABC's new pact with Silverman keeps the programming legend firmly in place as a chief adviser to network executives including Braun and entertainment president Susan Lyne. As he did last year, Silverman will play a key role as ABC ponders its program planning and scheduling for next fall.
Silverman remains best known for serving as entertainment president at CBS and ABC and as president at NBC.
Heading up ABC's entertainment division from 1975-78, he took the network to No. 1 for the first time in its history. In more recent times, his Fred Silverman Co. was responsible for producing shows such as "Diagnosis Murder."
Sohmer Leaves ABC, Silverman Stays
Mon Mar 10, 3:01 AM ET Add Entertainment - Reuters/Variety TV to My Yahoo!
By Michael Schneider
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - One TV veteran -- programming consultant Fred Silverman -- has renewed his relationship with ABC, while another --marketing executive Steve Sohmer -- has left the Disney-owned network.
Sohmer had spent just seven months at ABC as executive vice president of marketing, advertising and promotion before handing in his resignation last week.
The departure once again makes Mike Benson ABC's senior marketing executive; Benson had been running the department on an interim basis before Sohmer's arrival.
In the wake of Sohmer's departure, individual department chiefs within the marketing department will report to ABC Television Entertainment Chairman Lloyd Braun through the end of the season; a permanent replacement is expected to be named by then.
Sohmer joined ABC in August, just in time to lead the network through its fall 2002 launch. Under his guidance, the network opened shows such as "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" to solid audiences.
The exec also climbed on board as the network was abandoning its longtime yellow-centric campaign. Sohmer put his mark on promos through slogans such as "Super Monday," "Better Night, Better Time" (for "The Practice's" move to Mondays) and "Hold Your Breath Sunday."
Many of those slogans were reminiscent of Sohmer's 1980s legacy at the Brandon Tartikoff-era NBC, where he helped create campaigns such as "Be There." But some of ABC's marketing decisions this season also rubbed program suppliers the wrong way, giving Sohmer a bumpy relationship with some producers as well as some internal ABC department heads.
Ultimately, though, insiders said Sohmer opted to leave after he realized that the marketing chief job has changed from the days when he led teams at CBS and NBC.
Prior to ABC, Sohmer had spent five years at Pax TV and two years at Sony.
Meanwhile, ABC's new pact with Silverman keeps the programming legend firmly in place as a chief adviser to network executives including Braun and entertainment president Susan Lyne. As he did last year, Silverman will play a key role as ABC ponders its program planning and scheduling for next fall.
Silverman remains best known for serving as entertainment president at CBS and ABC and as president at NBC.
Heading up ABC's entertainment division from 1975-78, he took the network to No. 1 for the first time in its history. In more recent times, his Fred Silverman Co. was responsible for producing shows such as "Diagnosis Murder."