First African-American top network executive exiting ABC
Posted November 16, 2018 3:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
LOS ANGELES — Channing Dungey, the first African-American executive to lead a major broadcast network, is stepping down.
Disney-owned ABC said Friday that Dungey has decided to exit as ABC Entertainment president.
She will be replaced by Karey Burke, a programming development executive at ABC sibling channel Freeform.
Dungey’s departure comes as the Walt Disney Co. gets ready to acquire 21st Century Fox. That’s prompting a reorganization of Disney’s TV units.
In October, Disney said it was bringing Fox executive Dana Walden aboard to handle ABC, Freeform and Disney TV studio operations.
Burke will report to Walden after the Fox acquisition is completed, with Burke’s replacement at Freedom to be announced, ABC said.
In a statement, Dungey said she could have called ABC home for many more years but wants to tackle new, unspecified challenges.
The Associated Press
