Frank Scherma, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy, announced the appointment of George Cheeks and Channing Dungey as new chair’s appointees to the Television Academy Executive Committee.
The industry thought leaders will join the diverse and talented group of returning appointees Gloria Calderón Kellett, Dawn Olmstead, Vernon Sanders and Zack Van Amburg to chart the course for the Academy throughout the 2022 term.
“It is a privilege to be able to tap into the vast experience of these innovative executives to help lead us through what promises to be a dynamic year for our organization and the industry,” said Scherma. “We will look to these six visionaries for ideas and insight that will shape the Academy’s service to its members and leadership in the industry.”
New Executive Committee appointees are:
- Channing Dungey: chairman, Warner Bros. Television Group. Dungey has creative responsibility for all of Warner Bros.’ television production activities, including production of scripted and unscripted/alternative series for on-demand/streaming platforms, premium/pay and basic cable channels, and the broadcast networks. She oversees Warner Bros. Television, the studio’s flagship television production unit for live-action scripted programming, as well as Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, which produces unscripted and alternative programming through its three production units: Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, Telepictures and Shed Media. Prior to joining Warner Bros., Dungey previously served as vice president of original series at Netflix, and before that, she was president, ABC Entertainment.
- George Cheeks: president and CEO of CBS and chief content officer, news and sports, Paramount+. Cheeks oversees CBS-branded assets within ViacomCBS, including CBS Television Network, which encompasses CBS Entertainment, CBS News and Stations and CBS Sports, as well as CBS Studios, CBS Media Ventures—its first-run syndication business—and CBS-branded digital assets. As chief content officer for Paramount+, he has extended the content from CBS News and CBS Sports to the streaming service. In addition, Cheeks is responsible for the global content strategy for ViacomCBS’ free-to-air networks in the United Kingdom, Australia and Argentina. Prior to joining CBS, Cheeks served more than seven years at NBCUniversal in senior executive positions that spanned creative, business and operational roles.
Returning Executive Committee appointees are:
- Gloria Calderón Kellett: Award-winning writer, producer, director and actress. She is currently the executive producer, showrunner and one of the stars of Amazon Prime Video’s critically acclaimed series With Love and is an executive producer on the new Amazon Prime Video series The Horror of Dolores Roach. Prior to that, Kellett was the executive producer, co-creator, co-showrunner, director and actress on the critically acclaimed sitcom One Day at a Time. She spent her early years as a writer/producer on numerous shows including Devious Maids and How I Met Your Mother; has directed episodes of Mr. Iglesias, Merry Happy Whatever, United We Fall and the Mad About You revival; and is in development on her first feature film, We Were There Too, for HBOMax.
- Dawn Olmstead: CEO and partner of Anonymous Content, the leading film and TV studio, international, management and branded content company. Olmstead joined Anonymous Content from Universal Content Productions where she served as president, overseeing all creative and business operations of scripted and non-scripted content for the studio, making her the first female head of a traditional media studio to oversee both.
- Vernon Sanders: head of global television at Amazon Studios. Sanders oversees scripted and unscripted original programming produced for Prime Video and IMDb TV, including Jack Ryan, Wheel of Time, Underground Railroad, Invincible, and Emmy® Award-winning comedies The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Fleabag. Prior to joining Amazon Studios, Sanders served as executive vice president, current programming for NBC, overseeing more than 25 shows each year over his seven-year tenure.
- Zack Van Amburg: Chief content officer and head of worldwide video for Apple TV+.Van Amburg oversees all aspects of the vision and global strategy for video programming including the launch of the platform, which made history as the first streaming service to debut with all original programs in over 100 countries. Under his leadership, Van Amburg has debuted a multitude of beloved, award-winning series spanning drama, comedy, kids, family and unscripted programs, including Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Foundation, For All Mankind, The Problem with Jon Stewart, The Oprah Conversation, Fraggle Rock and many more. Additionally, Van Amburg oversees Apple Original Films, releasing the broadly praised CODA and The Tragedy of Macbeth, along with upcoming Killers of the Flower Moon, Emancipation and others. As a result of his leadership, Apple TV+ has emerged as a home for the world’s most creative storytellers; and in less than two years, Apple TV+ has been honored with myriad awards and accolades, quickly becoming known for its high-quality, best-in-class programming. Prior to joining Apple, Van Amburg served as president of Sony Pictures Television where he oversaw many of TV’s critically lauded shows of the past decade.
Additionally, the Academy’s Board of Governors has elected the following Peer Group Governors as their representatives on the executive committee for the 2022 term: Daniel H. Birman (Documentary Programming), Debra Curtis (Television Executives), Jill Dickerson (Reality Programming) and Kim Taylor-Coleman (Casting Directors). Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy Foundation, will also serve on the committee.
