Peter Roth Upped to Chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group
By Elaine Low
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Warner Bros. Television Group president and chief content officer Peter Roth has inked a contract extension with the company that will make him chairman of the unit, a newly created position.
In this role, Roth will continue to lead the group’s TV production, including U.S. production of scripted, unscripted and alternative series for broadcast, cable and streaming. He will continue to work closely with Warner Bros. Worldwide TV Distribution president Jeffrey R. Schlesinger. Roth has served in his current position since May 2013.
“Across the industry, Peter has the well-deserved reputation as a legend, and I have long been an admirer of his creative insight, deep relationships and unmatched passion for — and love of — all the people behind and in front of the camera, at the networks, and across the Studio who make Warner Bros. the most prolific TV producer in Hollywood,” said Warner Bros. chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff, to whom Roth will report. “It’s fitting to recognize his many contributions to the company, and we’re grateful he will continue to lead our television production business as we expand our output to match the increased demand for programming by traditional and new outlets, including our own HBO Max.”
Warner Bros. touts the accomplishments the studio’s TV operations have achieved under Roth’s watch, maintaining its supply to broadcast networks while ramping up series production output for premium and basic cablers and expanding series production for streamers.
Roth has overseen a plethora of exclusive overall deals with the studio, including Chuck Lorre, Greg Berlanti, J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath’s Bad Robot Productions, Ava DuVernay, John Wells, Damon Lindelof, Mindy Kaling, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Elizabeth Banks, Bruno Heller, Michael Patrick King, Steve Molaro, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Bill Lawrence, Bryan Cranston, David Nutter, Rob Thomas, Matt Miller and Robert Zemeckis.
Roth first joined Warner Bros. in 1999 as president of Warner Bros. Television after spending three years as president of Fox Entertainment, where he was responsible for the development and programming of “Ally McBeal, “That 70’s Show” and “Family Guy.” Prior to his time at the network, he spent time at Twentieth Television Corp for around four years as president of production, and before that, as president of Stephen J. Cannell Productions for six years. His career has also include a decade at ABC; Roth began his TV career in 1976 as manager of children’s programs.
Roth is currently on the board of the Peabody Awards, the Los Angeles Board of Governors of The Paley Center for Media, and the Hall of Fame Selection Committee for the Television Academy.
