News

Barbara Zaneri, Chief Program Acquisitions Officer at Paramount, is leaving the company after 25 years.

Zaneri is leaving to focus full-time on the nonprofit that she founded – the Gold Star Services Network, which honors Gold Star Families who have lost a loved one due to U.S. military service.

The news was revealed by Paramount Global Co-CEO Chris McCarthy in a note to staff, seen by Deadline.

McCarthy called the move “bittersweet.”

“Anyone fortunate enough to work with Barb, knows she is a true force of nature, blazing trails across the industry and leading with vision, grit and empathy,” he wrote.

Paramount said that Zaneri’s exit is unrelated to the recent layoffs at the company, which saw it lay off 3.5% of its U.S. workforce, on top of the 15% it shed last year, as it struggles in the challenging media environment and under its own protracted ownership saga.

Zaneri started...

Comedy Central General Manager David Bernath is leaving the company after 12 years effective March 15. He will be replaced by Viacom veteran Tanya Giles, who is being promoted to that role, reporting to Comedy Central President Kent Alterman. As Gm, Giles will oversee Brand Strategy, Marketing, Programming, and Digital/Social Strategy. She will be based in Comedy Central's SoHo offices. "Tanya is not only a smart, strategic thinker, she also knows more about our audience…...

Comedy Central finds itself in a particularly unique scenario during the current executive shuffle. President Michele Ganeless exits at a time when the network's brand identity is as strong as ever, home to marquee names (Amy Schumer) and critical darlings (Broad City), but its ratings narrative is like that of most of cable — it could be a lot better. A day after announcing Ganeless' impending departure — she'll stay on through the end of May — and the rise of programming topper Kent Alterman to her post and David Bernath's promotion to Gm, the trio joined Viacom Music

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There's a change at the top of another Viacom cable network. Following her 12-year run, Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless is stepping down, the cable network announced Monday. She will be replaced by her second-in-command, original programming president Kent Alterman. Ganeless will depart at the end of May and will remain on board in an advisory role through September. She will work throughout the transition with Alterman, who assumes the role immediately. Additionally, David Bernath — executive vp programming and multiplatform strategy — has been promoted to Comedy Central Gm, reporting to Alterman. Most recently, Ganeless

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New York, Jan. 23, 2014 — Viacom Inc. (Nasdaq: Viab, Via) today announced the formation of a Program Acquisitions Group to coordinate the company’s domestic program acquisition activity across its portfolio of domestic media networks, including Bet, Centric, MTV, VH1, Cmt, Comedy Central, Spike TV, TV Land, Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite. The Program Acquisitions Group will unify the planning and analysis, inventory management, acquisition process and buying activity for all Viacom Media Networks’ domestic program acquisitions. The group will be jointly led by David Bernath, Executive Vice President, Programming & Multiplatform Strategy for Comedy Central, and Barbara Zaneri, who will assume the newly created role of Executive Vice President of Program Acquisitions. Program acquisitions executives at each of the individual networks will continue to lead the selection of acquisitions for their respective channels. In her new role, Zaneri will lead negotiations for all domestic program acquisitions within Viacom Media Networks, working closely...

Comedy Central has consolidated its organizational structure, dismantling its digital department and expanding its executives' oversight to include content across multiple platforms. "We've dismantled the department formerly known as 'digital' to create an organization that better serves our fans and advertisers," Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless said in a statement. "Our fans don't use the word 'digital' to talk about content and now, neither do we." Story: Comedy Central Orders Late-Night Series Starring Dave Attell David Bernath, executive vp programming and multiplatform strategy, now oversees programming for Comedy Central across all platforms. Chief marketing officer Walter Levitt

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Comedy Central announced this morning it has dismantled its digital and linear departments in order to create an organization that better serves advertisers — and fans. David Bernath, Executive Vice President, Programming & Multiplatform Strategy now leads all programming for the Viacom network, and Walter Levitt, Chief Marketing Officer, is responsible for marketing across all platforms. Both Bernath and Levitt will continue to report to Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless. The change isn’t such a surprise, following as it does the announcement earlier this year that Kent Alterman had been upped to President, Content Development & Original Programming, overseeing all content development for Comedy Central. “Our fans don’t use the word ‘digital’ to talk about content and now, neither do we,” Ganeless said. From this morning’s announcement: As Executive Vice President, Programming & Multiplatform Strategy, Bernath has expanded his responsibilities to include oversight for the strategy and programming of Comedy Central...

Doubly good news for Community fans today:

The sitcom returns with new episodes tonight. Comedy Central has picked up Joel McHale and company for syndication.

“Within the chaos of the current media landscape we are fortunate that we live in a timeline where Community comes to Comedy Central,” said David Bernath, the network’s executive vice president of program strategy & multiplatform programming. “Our staff is celebrating with a game of paintball in the offices today.”

Reruns of the series will begin airing in 2013, while you can watch a hilarious extended trailer now for the remainder of Community season 3.

School is in session on Comedy Central! The cable network has purchased the rights to air repeats of Community.

The first three seasons of the NBC comedy will start airing in fall of 2013. "Within the chaos of the current media landscape we are fortunate that we live in a timeline where Community comes to Comedy Central," the network's Executive Vice President of Program Strategy & Multiplatform Programming David Bernath said in a statement.  "Our staff is celebrating with...

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"Community" is coming to Comedy Central. Reruns of the cult-hit NBC sitcom will join Comedy Central's line-up in 2013.

"Within the chaos of the current media landscape we are fortunate that we live in a timeline where 'Community' comes to Comedy Central," David Bernath, executive vice president of program strategy and multiplatform programming, said in a statement. "Our staff is celebrating with a game of paintball in the offices today."

Comedy Central has picked up the rights to all three seasons of the Dan Harmon series.

The Comedy Central acquisition is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to good "Community" news. The Greendale Human Beings are returning to NBC on Thurs., March 15 at 8 p.m. Et with new episodes. The show was benched by the Peacock network in December. "30 Rock" took over the Thursdays at 8 p.m. timeslot, but failed to perform better than "Community...

"Community" is coming to Comedy Central. Reruns of the cult-hit NBC sitcom will join Comedy Central's line-up in 2013.

"Within the chaos of the current media landscape we are fortunate that we live in a timeline where 'Community' comes to Comedy Central," David Bernath, executive vice president of program strategy and multiplatform programming, said in a statement. "Our staff is celebrating with a game of paintball in the offices today."

Comedy Central has picked up the rights to all three seasons of the Dan Harmon series.

The Comedy Central acquisition is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to good "Community" news. The Greendale Human Beings are returning to NBC on Thurs., March 15 at 8 p.m. Et with new episodes. The show was benched by the Peacock network in December. "30 Rock" took over the Thursdays at 8 p.m. timeslot, but failed to perform better than "Community...

Community is coming to Comedy Central!

The cable net has acquired off-network rights to the first three seasons of NBC’s underdog comedy, which — at last! — returns to the Peacock’s airwaves this Thursday at 8/7c. The Greendale Gang will debut on Comedy Central fall 2013.

Spoiler Alert!: Joel McHale and Alison Brie Reveal Community’s Most Shocking Hook-Up Ever!

“Within the chaos of the current media landscape we are fortunate that we live in a timeline where Community comes to Comedy Central,” said David Bernath, the network’s executive vice president of program strategy & multiplatform programming. “Our staff...

Chicago – It was only a few weeks ago when the cult favorite “Communtiy” didn’t have a home at all. Through two and a half seasons on NBC, the show was put on hiatus as the network decided what to do. Now, the hit comedy is returning to the NBC Thursday night lineup tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Cst and it has also found a new home.

Comedy Central has officially made a deal to bring the off-net rights of the show to the basic cable network. The comedy, starring Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase, Jim Rash, and several others, was created and written by Dan Harmon and the nerdy, pop-culture themes in the show make it a perfect fit for the comedy network.

David Bernath, Executive Vice President, Program Strategy & Multiplatform Programming at Comedy Central was excited to share the news: “Within...

The deal with Comedy Central is in addition to the pact Sony TV inked with Hulu in December to make all 3 seasons of Community available on the streaming service. New York, March 14, 2012 – Greendale Community College’s most famous study group will have a new member beginning in 2013 (and it’s not Beetlejuice) as Comedy Central has reached a multi-year deal with Sony Picture Television to license the critically-acclaimed comedy series “Community,” it was announced today by David Bernath, Executive Vice President, Program Strategy & Multiplatform Programming/Dean of Students for Comedy Central and [Sony Pictures Television]. The all-comedy channel will launch the series with three seasons beginning in the fall of 2013. “Within the chaos of the current media landscape we are fortunate that we live in a timeline where ‘Community’ comes to Comedy Central,” said Bernath. “Our staff is celebrating with a game of paintball in the offices today.” “Community is a perfect fit for the Comedy Central audience,...

Comedy Central has announced that it's teaming up with "Weird Al" Yankovic to present his first televised concert special in a decade. Filmed during this past summer's "Alpocalypse" tour, the special will premiere on Comedy Central on Saturday, October 1, and be available on DVD & BluRay October 4.

The concert film will feature Yankovic performing songs from his latest album, including the Lady Gaga parody "Perform This Way," as well as many of his greatest hits like "White & Nerdy," "Amish Paradise" and "Fat."

According to the press release Comedy Central issued today, the special is the result of Yankovic's continuing and evolving strength as an artist.

"Weird Al is an American icon who is at the top of his game," said David Bernath, a Comedy Central executive vice president. "He's as relevant and connected to his fans as he's ever been and we're thrilled to give our audience the first opportunity to watch this fantastic special.

New York, NY, United States (Ahn Entertainment) - Comedy Central and Twentieth Century Fox Television are bringing back "Futurama." The network and the producer announced the pickup of 26 new episodes of the animated comedy series, seven years after its last original episode aired on Fox.

Seasons "7-a" and "7-b" will have 13 episodes each, with the first installment premiering in the summer of 2012 and the rest in the summer of 2013 on its new home network.

Last June, Comedy Central debuted the show's sixth season, averaging 2.5 million viewers each week. The popularity of the show also reached social media, having 11 million "likes" on Facebook.

David Bernath, Exec VP for program strategy and multiplatform programming for the cable channel, said, "Successfully bringing the show back last summer was gratifying enough. Now, being able to extend the series for two more years is beyond our expectations!"...

Comedy Central announced a key promotion on Monday: Val Boreland, the head of the network’s programming group, has been named senior vice president, programming, promotion and multiplatform strategy. Boreland will continue to oversee the programming group with the additional duty of “managing the network's content across all digital platforms, including VOD, wireless and all emerging platforms.” Boreland will also contribute to long-term strategic planning. "Val is the lynchpin of our 360 degree approach to programming the network," David Bernath, Comedy Central's executive vice president, program strategy and multiplatform programming, said while making...

By Daniel Frankel

Comedy Central has promoted David Bernath to executive VP of program strategy and multiplatform programming.

The New York-based Bernath, who formerly operated with a senior VP-level title, will continue to oversee the MTV Networks channel’s scheduling and acquisitions group, as well as manage its content across digital platforms.

“Dave has been a key architect in the success of Comedy Central over the last five yeasrs,” said Bernath&rsq...

By Wrap Staff

Comedy Central has picked up basic-cable off-net rights to Twentieth Television's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," which airs in first-run on basic cable network FX.

Under the multiyear deal, the hit comedy will start its run on Comedy Central next summer.

The deal was announced Tuesday by Steve MacDonald, executive VP/general sales manager for basic cable at Twentieth Television; John Landgraf, president-general manager, FX Networks; and David Bernath, senior VP of programming at Comedy Central.

The show concludes its fifth season on FX on Nov. 5. FX ha...

Things are finally looking up for ol' Liz Lemon. The NBC comedy "30 Rock" has been picked up by two networks for syndication: Comedy Central and Wgn America.

The show earned an impressive 0,000 per episode in total from the two deals. Comedy Central's senior vice president of programming David Bernath says the show is a good fit with its audience. "Pound for pound, this is one of the funniest shows on TV," Bernath said.

The Tina Fey-starrer, which has earned the Emmy for Best Comedy Series in the past two years, will be expected to begin airing on Comedy Central and Wgn in the fall of 2011. It will have over 100 episodes when it premieres on the two cable networks.

Comedy Central recently added NBC's "Scrubs" to its line-up. The network is likely to partner the shows together.

"30 Rock" will add a new address in 2011 as Comedy Central has reached a multi-year deal with NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution to license the Emmy(R) Award-winning comedy series "30 Rock," it was announced today by Frances Manfredi, executive vice president/general sales manager, cable and non-theatrical sales for NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution and David Bernath, senior vice president, program strategy & microwave programming for Comedy Central.

  Comedy Central has acquired off-network broadcast rights to NBC's Emmy-winning "30 Rock," several years ahead of the show's actual availability. The cable network formally announced its multi-year deal with NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution on Wednesday (July 8), even though Comedy Central won't be able to begin airing "30 Rock" episodes until the fall of 2011. "Pound-for-pound, '30 Rock' is one of the funniest shows on television and a perfect DNA match for our viewers," says David Bernath. "This is a tremendous acquisition for Comedy Central and we can't wait for Tina, Alec, Tracy and the rest of the gang...

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. Liz Lemon still has a lot of life left in her yet. Universal Media Studios was able to negotiate a payout of roughly $800,000 per episode of 30 Rock from two separate off-network deals to Comedy Central and Wgn America. Both channels will be able to begin airing the episodes as a weeknight strip in fall of 2011. "Pound for pound, this is one of the funniest shows on TV. The DNA of the show is fabulous," said Comedy Central's Svp of programming David Bernath. "I really believe its biggest and broadest days are still ahead of it on NBC." TBS and E! were also said to have had interest in picking up the off-net rights to 30 Rock. (Variety) Andrea Bowen is set to reprise her role as Julie when Desperate Housewives returns for a sixth season this fall but Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is...

Comedy Central has acquired the off-network syndication rights to NBC's "30 Rock."

It will share the cable window of the Emmy-winning comedy series with Wgn America for a combined license fee said to be in the range of $800,000 an episode, surpassing cable sales of other recent comedy offerings such as "The Office," "My Name Is Earl" and "Entourage."

The two cable networks will begin to run "30 Rock" in 2011.

"Pound-for-pound, '30 Rock' is one of the funniest shows on television and a perfect DNA match for our viewers," said Comedy Central's top acquisition executive David Bernath, who, influenced by "30 Rock's" Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), listed his title as senior vp program strategy and microwave programming for the comedy-centered cable channel.

The off-network sale of "30 Rock" by Universal Domestic TV follows the 2007 sale of NBC's other Emmy-winning Thursday comedy, "The Office," which was sold to TBS for about $750,000 per episode as well as in broadcast syndication.

No longer a rumor, a spokesperson for 20th Century Fox Television has confirmed that the cable network Comedy Central has ordered 26 new episodes of the beloved cult animated comedy, Futurama. This will no doubt please fans, who have flocked to the program like the series’ paeans are drawn to the Hypnotoad. The decision to bring Futurama back had long been in the rumor mill and hope sprung eternal after Comedy Central picked up the syndication rights to air the original episodes. The show even featured in a series of feature-length DVDs, which were hour-and-a-half movies capable of being split into four separate episodes for television viewing. But with Comedy Central aboard for two thirteen-episode seasons, the show is still very much alive. They will begin airing sometime in 2010.

“There is nothing like new, self-contained episodes week to week,” said David Bernath, Comedy Central’s Senior VP of Programming, “This is all about reinvigorating the franchise,...

20th Century Fox Television, the animation powerhouse that brought "Family Guy" back from the dead five years ago, has done it again: Matt Groening and David X. Cohen's brilliantly subversive animated sci-fi comedy "Futurama" will return to production on 26 new half-hour episodes more than six years after the series aired its last original episode. The move comes on the heels of the series' blockbuster performance on DVD and on Comedy Central; the announcement was made today by Twentieth Century Fox Television Chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden, and David Bernath, senior vice president, programming for Comedy Central. "Futurama" was a staple of Fox's Sunday night animation block from 1999 to 2003 before ceasing production on original episodes. In June...

Futurama will return to TV screens next year, says The Hollywood Reporter. Comedy Central has ordered a 26-episode two-season run for the animated show, which ran on Fox from 1999 to 2003. Four feature-length episodes were produced and their success on DVD has prompted Comedy Central, the rights owners since 2006, to produce a new batch of episodes. "There is nothing like new, self-contained episodes week to week," said Comedy Central's David Bernath. "This is all about reinvigorating the franchise, giving it a new burst of energy." (more)...

"Futurama" is coming back.

Taking a page from the "Family Guy" resurrection guidebook, the long-canceled Fox animated comedy is returning with an order from Comedy Central for 26 episodes to run over two seasons.

"Futurama" creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen already are working on stories for the new batch of episodes of the sci-fi cartoon, slated to premiere on Comedy Central in mid-2010.

As with "Family Guy," whose improbable return was triggered by big DVD sales and solid ratings for the show's reruns on Cartoon Network, the performance of "Futurama's" repeats on Comedy Central and on disc was key to its resurrection.

"When we brought back 'Family Guy' several years ago, everyone said that it was a once in a lifetime thing -- that canceled series stay canceled and cannot be revived," 20th TV chairman Gary Newman said. "But 'Futurama' was another series that...

STRIKE ZONE: LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES

NEW YORK -- Reruns are getting a rethink.

With the strike forcing networks to rely more heavily on reruns, a scheduling backwater is suddenly being transformed into high art.

Across the television world, programming execs are plotting to find the best way to parcel out reruns in the manner of a farmer preparing for a drought. And once they settle on the episodes, they're seeking creative ways to make the old seem fresh.

"Nothing is off the table", a network exec said. "We have to throw out the rulebook."

The rethink is sufficiently thorough that even outdated fashions like movies-of-the-week and theatricals are being contemplated for primetime.

Of course, the strategizing is happening first at late-night, where networks have already begun to define their plans. At Comedy Central, execs are planning a slew of theme weeks in the hopes of maintaining audience, including viewer-chosen episodes, a full week of "The Colbert Report" featuring episodes in which Stephen Colbert sings and a "Face-Off Week" featuring contentious interviews on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart."

The cable network's challenges prefigure what will soon be a hurdle for all nets across all dayparts: how to make the strike as invisible as possible to the viewer by using just a limited set of programs.

"We're not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes," said David Bernath, Comedy Central senior vp programming. "There are just a lot of people who haven't seen these shows, and we want to find the best way to make sure they do."

On late-night series, some have speculated about splicing together segments from different episodes to capitalize on a particularly strong interview or quarter-hour (though few seem sure of the legal or production implications).