USA Network executives Jeff Wachtel and Chris McCumber have been named co-presidents of the entertainment channel, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Cable Studios chairman Bonnie Hammer announced Thursday.
Wachtel, currently president of original programming, and McCumber -- the network's executive vice president of marketing, digital, and brand strategy -- will report to Hammer, who has overseen the day-to-day operations of the "Characters Welcome" network since 2004.
"USA will remain a top priority for me, and I can't think of a better team to build on the network's incredible momentum," said Hammer, who added oversight of Syfy, E! Entertainment, G4, Chiller, Sleuth, Universal HD and Universal Cable Productions as part of her new duties under the recent Comcast/NBC Universal merger.
"Not only have Chris and Jeff performed consistently at the top of their games, their collaborative style is a critical part of USA's DNA and a key component of the network's success," she added.
Wachtel and McCumber will jointly oversee strategic direction and operations across all platforms for USA, the top-rated entertainment-based cable network for five consecutive years.
Since 2001 Wachtel has overseen the development of USA's most popular series, including scripted shows like Monk, Burn Notice and White Collar.
In his seven years at the network, McCumber developed the network's Characters Welcome brand for USA. McCumber also serves as executive in charge new business development and all WWE programming across the networks.
