AMC Networks said that chief operating officer Ed Carroll is leaving the company at the end of the year after spending 34 years with the company.
The move follows a decision by the company to bring in former Showtime chairman Matt Blank as interim CEO following Josh Sapan’s recent decision to move from CEO to executive vice chairman.
The senior executive changes sparked some speculation that AMC Networks is either getting ready to install a next-generation management team, or being prepared for a sale as scale becomes a greater issue in a TV world dominated by giant streaming services.
Carroll played a role in transforming AMC from a network that ran old movies to a source of high quality original programming.
“For decades, Ed has been the heart and soul of AMC Networks,” said Sapan. “He has been at the center of the shows and movies that brought success to the company, and at the center of what has made AMC Networks a great place to work. In a business where credit for achievement can be actively sought, Ed looked for none, choosing to make all around him look good. His kind is rare.”
Carroll was general manager of Bravo when the company was known as Rainbow Media and helped launch shows like Inside the Actors Studio and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He was named COO in 2009 and has been overseeing the company’s targeted streaming services and the launch of AMC Plus.
“It has been a great ride and extremely satisfying to work with an extraordinary team to create TV shows with impact and, most recently, to successfully bring to market a new streaming platform with AMC Plus,” said Carroll, always quick with a joke. “Among the things I am most proud of is greenlighting Breaking Bad and Mad Men, including teaching Bryan Cranston how to act and Jon Hamm how to look good in front of a camera.”
Blank said Carroll has been helpful in making his transition smooth.
“His long history building AMC Networks’ strong brands and powerful original content slate is now paving the way for the company’s ongoing pivot to being the worldwide leader in targeted streaming,” Blank said.
