John Wentworth, executive vice president of publicity for CBS Television Distribution, will retire from that position in March 2017, he wrote in a letter to colleagues and friends on Tuesday.
He currently oversees publicity efforts for the company’s 10 first-run syndicated shows, including Dr. Phil, The Doctors, Judge Judy, Hot Bench, Rachael Ray, Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, Inside Edition, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! as well as for off-net series such as the CBS’ CSI franchise, The Good Wife, NCIS and Blue Bloods and Showtime’s Penny Dreadful.
Wentworth, who is executive vice president of communications for CTD, joined Paramount Domestic Television 33 years ago this month as manager of advertising, publicity and promotion in 1983.
There have been several executive changes at CTD of late, including the arrival of Paul Franklin as the division's new president. Franklin joined CTD after taking the voluntary buyout from Twentieth Television this summer. Franklin was executive vice president, general manager, broadcast sales at Twentieth. Joe DiSalvo, CTD's president of broadcast sales, also departed the company with Stephen Hackett being named president of sales.
Related: Paul Franklin Named President of CBS Television Distribution
Wentworth rose to vice president of advertising, publicity and promotion for Paramount Network Television, during which time he oversaw publicity for such series as Frasier, Cheers, Family Ties, Star Trek: The Next Generation, MacGyver and The Arsenio Hall Show.
From 1993 to 1999, served as senior VP and then executive VP for the Paramount Television Group from 1993 to 1999. Over the years, has overseen the media and publicity efforts for Paramount Network Television, CBS Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount International Distribution, King World Productions and the current entity, CBS Television Distribution.
Born in Skowhegan, Maine, and raised in the Caribbean, Wentworth graduated in 1981 from Emerson College in Boston, with a degree in Mass Communications. He is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Paley Center for Media, the Television Publicity Executives Committee (TPEC) and serves on Emerson College’s Board of Overseers.
