Cheeks Names New Leaders For Skydance TV

George Cheeks, the chief executive of Skydance TV, finalized the company's senior leadership roster on Wednesday afternoon. The announcement coincides with the completion of the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition. Cheeks now oversees a massive media portfolio that includes the CBS broadcast network, the largest television studio in Hollywood, and more than 50 cable channels.

The new structure relies heavily on existing personnel. Channing Dungey, a veteran from Warner Bros. Discovery, will continue to lead Warner Bros. TV Studios. She will also oversee the combined cable channel roster, which includes networks such as HGTV, Food Network, TNT, BET, and MTV. For channels operating outside the United States, Dungey will report to Cheeks for programming decisions and to JB Perrette for operational matters.

Bryon Rubin will serve as the Chief Operating Officer for the Skydance TV group. In this capacity, he will expand his responsibilities to include oversight of the CBS Television Stations group. He will work closely with Jennifer Mitchell, the division president of that station group, who will also have a reporting line to Cheeks. Rubin will maintain his current role leading CBS domestic syndication.

Studio leadership remains largely unchanged. David Stapf will continue to lead CBS Studios, the producer of the NCIS franchise and the series Sheriff Country. Matt Thunell will remain at the helm of Paramount Television Studios, which produces Reacher and the Taylor Sheridan universe. Skydance Sports Entertainment will join the Skydance TV Studios group, following the departure of Jesse Sisgold.

David Berson will continue to lead the Global Sports Group. His portfolio includes live sports rights for the NFL, UEFA Champions League, NHL, MLB, March Madness, PGA Tour, The Masters, WNBA, NASCAR, and college football. Tom Cibrowski will oversee CBS News operations, focusing on strengthening CBS Mornings and sustaining ratings for CBS Evening News.

Support functions have also been assigned. Mike Benson will lead marketing across the entire portfolio. Laurel Weir will manage research and programming insights. Chris Ender will oversee all communications and publicity. Cheeks stated in a memo to employees that the team's priorities are to deliver high-quality storytelling and maximize the value of their programming and brands.