http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/C....html?rssid=193

Disney-ABC Consolidates Daytime-Division Duties

Ann Lewis Roberts Promoted; Adam Rockmore Joins Programmer

By Anne Becker -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/9/2008 3:10:00 PM

Disney-ABC Television Group created new positions in programming and marketing to report to the division’s president, Brian Frons. The move comes as the company aims to increase cooperation among the division’s various arms -- the ABC Daytime group, cable network SOAPnet and the Buena Vista Productions studio.

Brian Frons

Ann Lewis Roberts, most recently vice president of development for Buena Vista, was upped to senior VP, Buena Vista Productions to oversee programming and production for the studio, as well as unscripted originals for SOAPnet.

Adam Rockmore, last a VP in marketing and retail for Calphalon, joined the group as senior VP of marketing for ABC Daytime and SOAPnet.

Roberts will now oversee development at the studio for primetime, syndication and cable programming, as well as its existing shows like Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, SOAPnet’s The Fashionista Diaries and GSN’s Camouflage. At SOAPnet, she will oversee development of original unscripted shows.

Rockmore will oversee marketing, branding, promotion and advertising for ABC Daytime -- network-owned soaps All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital, along with The View -- as well as for SOAPnet.

Both executives will report to Frons, who was also given oversight over Buena Vista and SOAPnet in May 2006. With his promotion, SOAPnet -- which runs same-day episodes of ABC Daytime soaps and others -- started producing original primetime series with Buena Vista as the studio. Several months later, SOAPnet president Deborah Blackwell resigned.

“The positions were structured to create greater strength and synergy across ABC Daytime, SOAPnet and Buena Vista Productions,” Frons said in a statement. “Ann and Adam will oversee initiatives that will be utilized across the entire television group.”

He added, “Ann is a brilliant television executive with a history of creating strong franchise players for syndication, cable and broadcast networks. I’m especially thrilled to have her expertise for a new level of story-driven programming at SOAPnet. Adam is a strategic marketing executive with the ability to innovate and direct creative ventures. He also has incredible experience building brands, and I am glad to have him lead the way as we create what is next for the division.”

At Buena Vista, Roberts has worked on SOAPnet’s Fashionista Diaries, as well as Sci Fi Channel’s Run for Money and truTV’s Inside Video Wars: Stringers. Before that, she spent 13 years in syndication, writing and producing for shows including Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood, and she was a VP in programming and production for E! Networks.

Prior to Calphalon, Rockmore was VP of marketing and public relations for Food Network and then senior VP of marketing and interactive commerce for its parent company, Scripps Networks. He has also worked in marketing, e-commerce and product management for Godiva Chocolatier, Parker Bros. and General Mills.

Oh, God. MORE original unscripted series for SOAPnet? This is not what we need.

They need to report to Frons that he needs to go see a shrink

And this means what for us? Oh yeah, the head douche is still in charge....

What a way with words you have Ryan

Not the news we all are hoping for...

and who actually wants more unscripted series aka reality crap broadcast on a soap opera channel? I thought soapnet was about showing and talking about soap operas, not about reality series or teen dramas. Ugh whatever.

and BTW, the Fashionista Diaries flopped hard right?

Edited January 10, 200817 yr by AddictedToSoaps

I want AW back. I don't want to see anymore unscripted series. Frons is a moron.

I want AW back. I don't want to see anymore unscripted series. Frons is a moron.

I prefer the name doucetw**

ROFL Ryan you truly rock my socks

and BTW, the Fashionista Diaries flopped hard right?

Flopped BIG TIME

Flopped BIG TIME

Gee I wonder why!

Gee I wonder why!

God forbid SOAPnet show, oh I dunno....SOAPS!!! If they want to air reality shows, get syndication rights to the Real World and air that. They've got plenty of soapy stuff.

yea seriously....just show the soaps and Soap Talk. No more of this Sunday Night Movie, no more I Wanna Be a Soap Star, and no more reality crap

i dont mind soapnet orginals - as long as they actually connect to soaps. One day With... Soapography, Soaptalk, I wanna be a soap star, that one show they did pretty much from the start about soaps with tanika ray or whatver her name is.

I wouldnt even mind SNM if it were ya know old tv movies with soap stars. not the same [!@#$%^&*] lifetime shows. even if it were soap type movies like soapdish, that one with rodney dangerfield where he wakes up from a coma in his soapworld (my dream come true...), or even carpool guy.

hell i wouldnt even mind if they showed broadway playd or other plays with soap stars.

as long as it is in the soap opera world, im down!

but i would in a heartbeat let all that go for Another World, Seach for Tomorrow, and The Doctors.