Warner Bros. TV Group and US networks chairman/CEO Channing Dungey sent a memo to employees Tuesday evening confirming his role in the new Skydance structure, including the fact that he will be part of the company’s new executive leadership team.
Dungey’s oversight will expand: As expected, he shared the news that he will assume all of Paramount’s Media Networks (including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and BET) in addition to the WBD US networks he has operated since last year.
He also confirmed that he will be getting a new boss duo. Warner Bros. The executive, who reported directly to CEO David Zaslav during Discovery, will now report to newly appointed Skydance TV co-president and chief content officer George Cheeks and JB Perrette as co-chairman and chief operating officer of Skydance TV.
Dungey has already worked with Perette at WBD for years and knows Cheeks well, especially since Warner Bros. has been the purveyor of numerous hit series (including many Chuck Lorre comedies) for CBS.
“I look forward to working more closely with George and JB in our new corporate structure,” Dungey wrote. “I know they will be great assets to us.”
In the note, he also complimented Paramount TV Studios president Matt Thunell and CBS Studios president David Stapf, with whom he will work as part of the studio trio under Cheeks and Perrette.
Dungey opened his note by praising the studio’s recent successes, including 13 new series orders and 13 series renewals received so far this year, and its overall slate of more than 80 games for more than 20 platforms.
“Please remember that I have great admiration for the dedication, professionalism, and hard work that each of you has brought to this company, and I know our new leadership shares my appreciation for the brilliance of this team,” he wrote.
But Dungey also acknowledged the “stressful time” of adjusting to the merger: “I imagine many of you are coming to this milestone with mixed emotions: pride in what your teams have accomplished, genuine excitement about the possibilities ahead, and understandably some uncertainty about what comes next,” he wrote. “I don’t have all the answers today – some things will come into focus quickly, others will take more time to understand – but I’m committed to keeping you as informed as I can as we move forward.”
Dungey first appeared at Warner Bros. in early 2021. took over as president/CEO of TV Group; later in early 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery has added US networks to its watch.
Here’s Dungey’s full memo:
Hello Team —
First, I want to thank you all for your unwavering focus and dedication to the Studio. I deeply appreciate each of you. We have shared an incredible journey and today we turn the page and begin a new chapter.
But before we do, let me remind you how hot the Studio is, even during this time of uncertainty and rapid change in the industry. Since January, we have secured 13 new series orders and 13 series renewals. Studio’s current roster totals 80+ titles for 20+ platforms, Many more projects are being developed. Many WBTVG series, including ‘Ted Lasso,’ ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,’ ‘Memory of a Killer,’ ‘Rooster,’ and ‘Running Point,’ reached No. 1 status in various categories this season, while ‘Lanterns’ is among the top 5 series released in the history of HBO Max. Our many animated highlights include the first installment of the ‘Batman: Knightfall’ trilogy, which hit #2 on Apple TV’s Best Movies list. Our unscripted team triumphed with Season 7 of ‘The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,’ which delivered the largest season premiere audience in the series’ history. In terms of syndication, ‘The Jennifer Hudson Show’ ranks as the #1 daytime talk show on social media, with over 11 billion views on social media. You are killing him!
I imagine many of you are coming to this milestone with mixed emotions: pride in what your teams have achieved, genuine excitement about the possibilities ahead, and understandably some uncertainty about what will happen next. I don’t have all the answers today – some things will come into focus quickly, others will take more time to understand – but I’m committed to keeping you as informed as I can as we move forward.
Now that we are officially part of the Skydance family, I want to give you an overview of what the current plans are for the future direction of the Studio and the makeup of the new leadership team.
Warner Bros. I am pleased to continue leading Television Group and will also continue to oversee the company’s USA Networks as part of the new Executive Leadership Team. I will also have oversight of Paramount Media Networks, which includes MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET and other highly popular networks. In all of these studio and network capacities, I will report to Skydance TV Co-President and Chief Operating Officer JB Perrette and Skydance TV Co-President and Chief Content Officer George Cheeks. For those who don’t know him, George is a successful and respected executive who oversees all of Paramount’s CBS-branded properties, as well as BET Studios, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, See It Now Studios, and Paramount Media Networks. WBTVG and CBS have had a great relationship for years, and I look forward to working even more closely with George and JB in our new corporate structure. I know they will be great values for us.
I also look forward to working with talented studio heads Matt Thunell and David Stapf. Matt is President of Paramount Television Studios and is responsible for the hit series ‘Landman’, ‘Dutton Ranch’, ‘The Madison’ and ‘Tulsa King’; David is President of CBS Studios and oversees all aspects of this prolific studio, which currently has over 70 series in various stages of production. By working with these two highly respected studios, we are poised to gain a strategic advantage over our competition in the industry.
I’m sure you’re wondering what all these changes mean for each of you. I don’t have any further details at this time other than to assure you that our new leadership respects and appreciates how special our amazing, industry-leading team is, and I will work closely with them on the strategy for our future success.
I hope you were able to attend today’s Global Town Hall, where David outlined Skydance’s vision, mission and strategic priorities. If not, or if you’d like to view the replay, it’s available on the Skydance Integration Center, which will serve as the go-to resource for updates, FAQs, and other information as we progress through this transition.
This will inevitably be a stressful time for many of us and I want to emphasize the importance of looking after your mental and physical health throughout this process. Speak up if you need help. The company offers care and counseling through LYRA. If you need additional support, contact your supervisor or P&C. And of course my door is always open.
I know everyone has additional questions and I will do my best to provide answers as soon as they become known. In the meantime, please remember that I have great admiration for the dedication, professionalism, and hard work that each of you brings to this company, and I know that our new leadership shares my appreciation for the brilliance of this team.
I will provide more clarity on what you can expect in the coming weeks and months as we move through this transition. In the meantime, I look forward to receiving everyone’s feedback and perspectives and working together to shape the future of WBTVG within the Skydance family.
As we begin the next chapter in the company’s storied history, I hope we can work together to make this transition as smooth and positive as possible for everyone involved and to build a bigger and better future for the studios than ever before.
warmly,
channing