AMC and BBC America veteran Sarah Barnett is stepping down from her position as AMC Networks Entertainment Group president, the company said Thursday.
Barnett, who was named to the position in 2018, will depart after Labor Day, according to AMC. AMC Networks COO Ed Carroll will assume the position on an interim basis.
Barnett joined AMC Networks in 2008 as senior VP of marketing for the Sundance Channel (now SundanceTV) before being named president and general manager of BBC America in 2014.
“This is a year that has confronted us with radical change on multiple fronts,” said Barnett in a statement. “After a lot of consideration – and with a slightly breaking heart – I have decided that it is the right time for me to follow my curiosity and leave things in the very capable hands of the outstanding team at AMC Networks.”
Added Carroll. “Sarah came to AMC Networks more than a decade ago, when we acquired Sundance Channel. She immediately put her stamp on Sundance with fresh, impactful storytelling like Rectify and Top of the Lake which continued when she took the reins of BBC America, growing Orphan Black, the network’s natural history franchises and developing the critical and audience hit Killing Eve. At AMC, she expanded the growing franchise of The Walking Dead while greenlighting new shows including Kevin Can F*** Himself and 61st Street, and she built a strong team to meet the shifting nature of our business. Sarah is one of the most versatile executives I have had the pleasure of working with – expert at programming, branding and team building, all with an eye toward the business of a rapidly changing entertainment landscape. She is also a truly progressive leader. We will miss her at AMC Networks.”
