Tom Hoberman, longtime entertainment attorney for Steve McPherson, issued a statement Wednesday afternoon that addressed rumors circulating earlier in the day among the TV industry that the circumstances of McPherson's resignation from his post as ABC Entertainment Group President involved a human resources violation.
"Upon Steve McPherson returning to work from his vacation on Monday, he made a voluntary decision to resign and ABC accepted his resignation," the statement reads. "It is not uncommon for high level executives to be the subject of gossip and innuendo. That would include rumors of internal situations which can easily be misinterpreted or misrepresented. Seems like it goes with the territory, and there is nothing further to discuss."
When asked about the rumors, ABC responded by reiterating their statement from Tuesday, indicating that McPherson submitted his resignation on July 27, the company accepted it and a replacement "will be announced shortly."
ABC Family President Paul Lee is widely expected to be named McPherson's replacement, but as of Wednesday afternoon ABC did not issue confirmation.
Meantime, the advertising community had good things to say about Lee (See: Madison Avenue Has High Hopes for Paul Lee) and ABC Affiliates Board Chairman Bill Hoffman saluted McPherson for his run at the network.
