Sarah Barnett Becomes President, Entertainment Networks
David Madden To Oversee Programming for Company’s Entertainment Networks and AMC Studios
Linda Schupack Elevated to President of Marketing, Entertainment Networks
New York, NY (November 5, 2018) – AMC Networks, the entertainment company behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed shows on television, today announced three key promotions and the implementation of a new management structure for its entertainment networks. The new structure, the product of months of organizational design work, will position its national networks, as well as its AMC Studios operations and its other related businesses, for continued success in a competitive and fast-changing environment.
Sarah Barnett, who currently oversees BBC AMERICA as the network’s President and General Manager, and was previously President and General Manager of SundanceTV, will become President, Entertainment Networks for the company, with oversight of AMC, BBC AMERICA, SundanceTV and IFC. The role will include direct oversight of AMC Premiere, the company’s premium SVOD service which offers fans the ability to watch original series without commercials and a variety of other benefits. Barnett will continue to report to Ed Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of AMC Networks.
The company’s lifestyle network, WE tv, will continue to be managed by WE tv President and General Manager Marc Juris, reporting to Carroll.
David Madden, currently President of Programming for AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios, will add responsibility for BBC AMERICA and IFC programming to his portfolio – becoming the President of Programming across the company’s four entertainment networks and studio. In his capacity as the Head of Programming for the company’s four entertainment networks, Madden will report to Barnett. In his capacity as the Head of Programming for AMC Studios, he will report to Carroll, as will AMC Studios President of Business Operations Rick Olshansky and AMC Studios President of Production Stefan Reinhardt.
Linda Schupack, currently Executive Vice President of Marketing for AMC and SundanceTV, has been promoted to the new role of President of Marketing, Entertainment Networks, with
oversight over all marketing functions for AMC, BBC AMERICA, SundanceTV and IFC. In this new role, Schupack, a 17-year veteran of the company, will report to Barnett.
“Sarah is an incredibly talented executive who has distinguished herself leading BBC AMERICA and, prior to that, SundanceTV, to new heights with acclaimed shows that have redefined each brand,” Carroll said. “She stands out for being an inspired thinker and innovator who brings a deep knowledge of the business, strong creative instincts and excellent leadership skills to this new role, and she’s well-positioned to make even more significant contributions to our success as we strategically shift to an enterprise-wide structure across our scripted entertainment networks.”
Added Carroll: “With his breadth of experience and track record of success, David is as good as it gets when it comes to making compelling content people care about. I look forward to working with him and his team even more closely in this new role as he leverages his expertise across all four of our scripted entertainment networks and AMC Studios.”
Barnett commented: “I’m privileged to work closely with David, whose creative chops and deep experience and relationships are going to fuel our forward momentum. David is a singular talent and I can’t wait to work more closely with him.”
Added Barnett: “Linda is a clear leader in entertainment marketing, having engaged fans over many years across some of the most iconic and well-known series in television history. Her innovation in blending performance marketing with consistent creative excellence is exactly what is needed for the changing landscape of entertainment.”
The new structure was the product of an extensive organizational design effort informed by the company’s past success and new opportunities in a dynamic and competitive marketplace. Last spring, AMC Networks promoted Jennifer Caserta, former President and General Manager of IFC, to become the company’s Chief Transformation Officer and spearhead development of a new structure, working with the company’s senior leadership team.
“This new management structure will enable us to better operate and leverage the strength of our entertainment networks as we continue to position the company to take advantage of new opportunities,” Caserta said. “Consolidating these networks under a centralized leadership structure will also allow us to recognize efficiencies that will put AMC Networks in a stronger competitive position as we move forward.”
Working for Barnett will also be a number of other key executives, including:
- Blake Callaway, Executive Director, who will continue to oversee IFC.
- Jan Diedrichsen, Executive Director, who will continue to oversee SundanceTV and the Sundance Now streaming service.
- Courtney Thomasma, who will be promoted to Executive Director, overseeing BBC AMERICA.
- Marnie Black, Executive Vice President, Public Relations, who will continue to oversee all consumer public relations functions for AMC, SundanceTV and Sundance Now, and expand her responsibility to now include BBC AMERICA and and IFC.
- Tom Halleen, Executive Vice President, Programming Strategy, Acquisitions and Scheduling, will continue to oversee scheduling, acquisitions, and promo planning & strategy functions across AMC and SundanceTV, and expand his responsibility to now include BBC AMERICA, IFC and WE tv.
- Mac McKean, Executive Vice President, Innovation, who will continue to oversee AMC Premiere and expand his responsibility for digital, gaming and new products across AMC, BBC AMERICA, SundanceTV and IFC.
Barnett is a seasoned programming and marketing executive. Under her leadership, BBC AMERICA has experienced strong growth and recent accolades including an Emmy nomination for Sandra Oh for the acclaimed series “Killing Eve,” the arrival of Jodie Whittaker as the first female doctor of the BBC’s storied “Doctor Who” franchise, and an Emmy Award for Tatiana Maslany for the critically acclaimed “Orphan Black.” Prior to overseeing BBCA, Barnett redefined SundanceTV as a timely and vital television brand synonymous with provocative, compelling programming from around the world and featuring the passion projects of some of television and film’s most sought-after respected creative talent of our time. She launched SundanceTV’s scripted strategy in 2010 with the Golden Globe winning “Carlos,” and went on to oversee a slate of high quality, auteur-driven series, including “Rectify,” “Top of the Lake,” and “The Honorable Woman,” among others.
Madden joined AMC Networks a year ago after two decades working at the highest levels of programming development for the FOX broadcast network and studio. During his tenure as President of Programming for FOX, he oversaw shows like “Empire,” “911,” “Brooklyn 99,” “The Last Man on Earth,” and “Grease Live.” Prior to running the creative side of the Fox broadcast network, Madden was president of Fox Television Studios, which developed and produced programming for a variety of broadcast and cable networks in the U.S. and internationally. In this role, he oversaw all of the studio’s scripted and unscripted programming, and the studio’s finance, operations, and marketing divisions. Series produced by Fox during Madden’s tenure at the studio included “The Shield” and “The Americans” for FX, “The Killing,” for AMC and later Netflix, “White Collar,” “Graceland” and “Burn Notice” for USA, and many others.
As the head of marketing for AMC, and later adding SundanceTV to her portfolio, Schupack has been the key executive responsible for the strategic oversight, management and implementation of both networks’ brand identities, multiplatform consumer and trade marketing activities, including advertising campaigns and consumer and advertising sales promotions, digital marketing and social media. Schupack’s innovative marketing leadership has played a crucial role in expanding AMC’s audience, as well as solidifying its position in the lexicon of pop culture and in television history through popular and critically-acclaimed originals like “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “Better Call Saul” and many others.
About AMC Networks
Dedicated to creating and distributing bold and inventive stories fueled by the artistic vision of dynamic storytellers, AMC Networks produces and delivers distinctive, compelling and culturally relevant content through its popular and award-winning brands, including: cable television networks AMC, BBC AMERICA, IFC, SundanceTV, and WE tv; independent film distribution division IFC Films; and its premium subscription streaming services, Sundance Now and Shudder. The Company also operates AMC Studios, its television production and worldwide content distribution division; and AMC Networks International, its international programming business.