David Madden Steps Down As AMC Studios Is Folded Into AMC Entertainment Networks Group

Nellie Andreeva

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AMC Networks continues to consolidate its operations under Sarah Barnett. The latest move is integrating AMC Studios into the company’s Entertainment Networks Group. It is triggering the departure of David Madden, who will exit as President of Programming for the Entertainment Networks Group and AMC Studios later this month.

The Entertainment Networks Group, run by group president Barnett, encompasses the company’s four scripted networks — AMC, BBC America, SundanceTV and IFC — as well as the premium, ad-free digital platform AMC Premiere. Under the new realignment, AMC Studios, which produces series exclusively for the AMC networks, is being brought under the same centralized leadership as the nets it supplies. The company is launching a search for a new programming head of the Entertainment Networks Group to oversee the slates for AMC, BBC America, SundanceTV and IFC.

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Programming oversight of AMC Studios was a key piece of Madden’s portfolio when he was recruited by AMC two years ago as President of Programming for AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios following stints as President of Entertainment of Fox Broadcasting and President of Fox TV Studios. As part of the executive consolidation last fall, following the departure of Charlie Collier, Madden added oversight of BBC America and IFC programming. He had dual reporting, to Barnett on matters related to the four entertainment networks, and to AMC Networks COO Ed Carroll on AMC Studios-related matters.

“We are already seeing the benefits of our entertainment networks working more closely together — the next logical strategic step is to integrate AMC Studios into this same group, so that the people making our celebrated series are more closely coordinated with the marketing, scheduling and publicity teams who connect our shows to passionate fans,” Barnett said. “We believe this new structure best positions our nimble organization for success in an increasingly competitive environment. I thank David for being a wonderful and consummate executive and for the creative leadership he brought to the team. He is enormously respected and admired both by his colleagues across the company and the talented people who make our shows. He will be missed.”

AMC is home to highly rated cable dramas The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul and Fear the Walking Dead. The Entertainment Networks Group recently received 25 Emmy nominations, across all four networks: nine for Better Call Saul on AMC, nine for Killing Eve on BBC America, four for Documentary Now! on IFC, and three for its short-form series State of the Union on SundanceTV. Flagship The Walking Dead, heading into its 10th season, is expanding its universe with a third series premiering next year and a film in the works. Also coming up on AMC is new original series, Dispatches from Elsewhere, while BBC America will launch a dedicated micro-net called Wonderstruck.

“I’m proud of the work the programming team and I have done growing and nurturing our existing shows like The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, Killing Eve, Lodge 49 and others, while also finding fresh new voices and shows like NOS4A2, a new season of The Terror, the forthcoming Dispatches From Elsewhere, a third series in The Walking Dead universe and a slate of strong new series in development,” Madden said. “I’m ready to move on and focus on new opportunities in the rapidly expanding content space, leaving the current programming and studio operations in good hands and positioned well for the future.”

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