EXCLUSIVE: The 30 or so eliminated positions in yesterday’s round of layoffs at Fox Entertainment included that of SVP Development Ted Gold.
The former Spike SVP was among several executives brought in by Michael Thorn last year to lead scripted development and production at the network’s in-house production unit, Fox Entertainment Studios.
This past March, Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade announced a restructuring of the company’s content and business operations into three groups, the Fox Television Network, Fox Entertainment Studios and sales arm Fox Entertainment Global.
Thorn, who had been overseeing scripted across the network and studio, became President of the Fox Television Network, leading both scripted and unscripted, while all of Fox Entertainment’s studio businesses globally, including Fox scripted studios, were consolidated under Fernando Szew who became Head of Fox Entertainment Studios.
Gold is believed to be the only remaining senior programming executive from the group hired by Thorn for the studio. Under the new structure, his position has been rendered redundant as Szew already had his team of executives.
While staffing cuts are understandable as media companies grapple with a soft ad market, fragmented audiences and pressure from shareholders, the constant stream of layoffs has taken a toll, upending veteran executives’ lives and careers.
Gold has been in the business for decades. Before rejoining Fox, he spent six years at Paramount Network’s predecessor Spike TV as SVP Scripted Programming where he helped develop Yellowstone and Waco. During his first tour of duty at Fox as SVP Series Development, he developed Prison Break and Bones.
His extensive resume also includes stints as President of Television at Parkes +Macdonald under the company’s overall deal at NBCUniversal, Head of Television for Deuce Three Productions/CBS TV Studios, SVP Series Development for Spelling Television, VP Creative Affairs for Alliance/Atlantis, and Director of Development, Drama & Longform for New World Entertainment.
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