Kevin Reilly to Run TBS & TNT

ATLANTA: Kevin Reilly, formerly the chairman of entertainment at FOX, has been tapped by Turner Broadcasting System to serve as president of TBS and TNT and chief creative officer for Turner Entertainment.

Reilly will be responsible for overseeing and leading the TNT and TBS networks and brands, including all content development; business affairs and production; marketing, brand and creative services; digital platforms; and program scheduling, planning and content-monetization strategies. In addition to his oversight of TNT and TBS, Reilly is charged with more strategically leveraging content acquisition for TNT, TBS, Adult Swim and truTV. For Turner Entertainment, Reilly will chair the newly formed Turner Entertainment Programming Council, which seeks to engage the senior programming executives of TNT, TBS, Adult Swim and truTV to explore and develop cross-platform opportunities, expand the division's content pipeline, and position Turner as the premier partner for creative providers of every genre.

He will be based in Los Angeles, reporting to David Levy, the president of Turner Broadcasting.

"Kevin is one of the most respected, innovative and influential executives in the television industry, and he's joining Turner Broadcasting at the ideal time for him and for the networks," said Levy. "Kevin brings a tremendous track record of success not only in terms of programming hits but also in the new media arena, where he was among the first broadcast network executives to push for meaningful investment in digital and social media. He has never shied away from taking bold programming risks and being a true champion of quality television. And on top of all that, he's an inspiring leader whose energy, creativity and style are a perfect fit for Turner's flagship entertainment networks."

"The creation of a chief creative officer role is central to my model for more aggressively engaging in the war for content," Levy continued. "Kevin will lead this newly formed council in identifying and securing the best programming available in the marketplace for the full range of consumer platforms to further advantage the Turner entertainment brands."

Reilly joined FOX in 2007 as president of entertainment for the network. He previously served as president of entertainment at NBC, having joined from the post of president of entertainment for FX.

"There's so much theoretical blabber these days about the potential of emergent content and platforms that you can drown in it," said Reilly. "My six-month journey through the robust but chaotic media marketplace led me to re-confirm a less novel idea: the best place to create, distribute and consume premium television content today is cable TV. Through this process, I connected with kindred spirits in David Levy and the whole Turner organization, who understand both the real value of what we deliver today and how we need to push forward to stay positioned for tomorrow. We are going to use the considerable resources at Turner to entice top talent, create world-class content and meet and engage consumers in a contemporary fashion. I can't wait."