Tips for surviving as a network president

When I learned that Channing Dungey was replacing Paul Lee as ABC’s president of entertainment, my first thought was “that was fast.” After all, it was only 2010 that Lee stepped in for Stephen McPherson. But consider this: Within that six-year period, every one of the five broadcast networks has shuffled its entertainment president.

So really, this is business as usual.

What happened this time? According to ABC, Paul Lee had simply “stepped down.” The press, however, painted Lee as the loser in a “power struggle” with his boss, Ben Sherwood, President of Disney/ABC TV Group. The real reason? ABC’s ratings in primetime are slipping. And when the ratings cool, the network chief gets the boot. Regardless of what else was going on, it’s the only reason that matters.

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