CBS Studios Senior EVP Kevin Berg Exits After 25 Years
CBS Studios executive Kevin Berg is leaving after 25 years at the company.
The senior executive vice president, production for CBS Network Television Entertainment is departing the company as part of a consolidation effort across CBS Studios with Paramount TV Studios. Liz Miller, EVP and head of production for Paramount TV Studios, is set to oversee production for both studios moving forward.
Berg was involved with the development of the popular “CSI” and “NCIS” franchises, as well as shows like “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Fight,” “Seal Team,” “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” “The Talk,” “Big Brother,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “The Late Late Show With James Corden” and more. He is also known for leading CBS Studios and CBS network productions through the COVID-19 era.
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The news of Berg’s exit was first announced in a memo to staff from Bryon Rubin, COO and CFO of CBS Entertainment Group; CBS Studios president David Stapf and Paramount Television Studios president Nicole Clemens.
“Kevin’s monumental contributions to CBS’ success are far reaching and will be felt for years to come. We are grateful for his dedicated and valuable service to the company,” the memo read.
The consolidation began in October, after both studios were put under George Cheeks, president and CEO, CBS, and CCO, News and Sports, Paramount+. Deadline, who first reported Berg’s departure, recalled Cheeks’ vision for the studios back in November, which involved centralizing some of its back-end functions with leadership across production, finance, law, business affairs and casting.
Berg was set to continue overseeing production for CBS Studios at the time, with Miller running Paramount TV. Now production will be under Miller’s duties.
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Miller joined Paramount TV Studios in 2019 after a stint at Netflix. Before that she was SVP of production at CBS. She also helped develop “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” for Paramount+, along with collaborating with CBS Studios on its new “Star Trek” franchise for the streamer.
“Liz is a tireless worker and an accomplished leader. She is a trusted partner with her counterparts at all the networks and streamers, as well as with producers across the globe, overseeing the production process as efficiently as possible, always with a smile and steady resolve,” Rubin, Stapf and Clemens wrote.
Read the full memo below:
We are reaching out today to share news about a change in the leadership structure for our CBS Studios and Paramount TV Studios production teams. Beginning Monday, Liz Miller will add oversight of production at CBS Studios to become the singular leader of the production teams for both studios.
As many of you know, Liz currently oversees production at PTVS. She is also no stranger to everyone at CBS, having spent most of her career at CBS Studios before her time at Netflix and then PTVS.
Throughout her career, Liz’s work has covered a wide range of production for premium scripted programming across many platforms – from “Jack Ryan” to “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies”; from “Bridgerton” to “Outer Banks”; from “The Good Wife” to “The Good Fight.” She also helped CBS Studios mount its new “Star Trek” franchise with the launch of “Star Trek: Discovery.”
Liz is a tireless worker and an accomplished leader. She is a trusted partner with her counterparts at all the networks and streamers, as well as with producers across the globe, overseeing the production process as efficiently as possible, always with a smile and steady resolve.
As part of this restructuring, we are sadly saying goodbye to CBS Studios’ longtime production leader Kevin Berg.
Kevin started in production at CBS when we had a slate of only three shows, and he helped it expand to more than 70 series across scripted, unscripted, daytime and late-night programming. He was also the production executive behind two of the most popular and commercially successful franchises in modern television history – “CSI” and “NCIS.” Many at CBS will also remember Kevin for his tireless efforts masterfully leading Studio and Network productions through the COVID-19 crisis.
Kevin’s monumental contributions to CBS’ success are far reaching and will be felt for years to come. We are grateful for his dedicated and valuable service to the company.
Looking to the future, this move is an extension of the Studios Group vision that George outlined for us in November: two best-in-class brands with their own leaders and separate creative teams, bolstered by streamlined support operations.
A strong production team is essential to the success of our studios. It is the operational heartbeat that brings our scripts to life and delivers our shows to air. Every department in our company is connected to production in some way. We are confident that under Liz’s leadership and on the foundation Kevin set at CBS, the combined talents and resources of our teams will support both studios and their impressive slates at their customary high level, and continue to drive innovation for the future.
While Liz assumes her new responsibilities next week, there will obviously be a period of transition to this new structure. We appreciate everyone’s collaboration as always and will keep you updated as we move forward.
Please join us in congratulating and supporting Liz in her expanded role, and in thanking Kevin for his decades of production leadership at CBS.
Bryon, David and Nicole
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