Paul Lee Exits ABC, Channing Dungey Named Successor

BURBANK: Channing Dungey has been named president of ABC Entertainment, succeeding Paul Lee, who has decided to step down.

Dungey has been serving as executive VP of drama development for movies and miniseries at the ABC Entertainment Group. In this post, she oversaw the development and production of all drama pilots, movies and miniseries and the launch of new series for ABC Entertainment. Dungey was instrumental in the development and success of such hits as Scandal, Criminal Minds, How to Get Away with Murder, Quantico, Army Wives and Once Upon A Time. Previously, Dungey was VP of drama development at ABC Studios.

Her new role sees Dungey reporting directly to Ben Sherwood, co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney-ABC Television Group. Patrick Moran, the executive VP of ABC Studios, will continue to oversee day-to-day operations, and report directly to Sherwood.

Sherwood commented, “Channing is a gifted leader and a proven magnet for top creative talent, with an impressive record of developing compelling, breakthrough programming that resonates with viewers.”

He continued, “We thank Paul for his many accomplishments at ABC and his devotion to the ABC brand, and we wish him continued success in the future.”

Dungey added, “I’m thrilled and humbled that Ben has entrusted me with this tremendous opportunity. And I am truly grateful to Paul for being a valued mentor and friend. I’ve had the great honor of working alongside the talented team at ABC for many years and look forward to starting this exciting new chapter with them.”

Lee said, “Leading ABC has been a fantastic experience. I’m especially proud of the incredible team I built and the strategic, creative vision we established and successfully executed for both the network and studio. Together, we’ve transformed ABC into one of the strongest brands in television, with shows like Scandal, Black-ish, Once Upon A Time, How to Get Away with Murder, The Goldbergs, Revenge, S.H.I.E.L.D., Quantico, Fresh Off the Boat and American Crime. I wish Channing and Patrick all the best.”