Following the reorganization of corporate leadership under ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, the company is reallocating the roles of some of its key executives across its live game and studio portfolio. ESPN Head of Event and Studio Production Dave Roberts, who is now overseeing all college sports for the network outside of baseball and football in addition to other programming, has divulged changes across the board in order to more effectively serve the sports fan.
Meg Aronowitz has been promoted to senior vice president of production and will start overseeing men’s college basketball programming. Despite the new job title and responsibilities, she will continue to help manage the NCAA championships, college softball and efforts to teach students about television control rooms. Among the employees reporting to her include Dave Ceisler (VP, Production), Andy Green (coordinating producer) and Nick Rud (coordinating producer).
Additionally, Mike Foss was promoted to the same position and is going to add responsibilities associated with morning studio programs Get Up and First Take. He was promoted to vice president of studio and digital production in June and will continue with those responsibilities, which includes Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption and The Pat McAfee Show in his purview.
Foss will also lead strategy for digital production and YouTube distribution in the role as the network moves closer to a direct-to-consumer (DTC) product launch. Reporting to him under the new role are coordinating producers James Dunn, Jon Fink, Jeremy Fitch, Allie Havens and David McKinnon, along with Senior Director Matt Ufford.
Sara Gaiero will now serve as a vice president of production, overseeing women’s college basketball along with her previous responsibilities of the WNBA. With live game broadcasts and the WNBA Draft, she is now the point person for all women’s basketball production.
Pete McConville will now oversee all NBA studio programming for the network, a noticeable change as NBA Countdown adds host Malika Andrews and analyst Bob Myers to the fold. McConville takes the role of Greg Dowling, the vice president of the ACC Network, who will add basketball-focused College GameDay responsibilities to his plate and report to Mike Shiffman, senior vice president of production.
Last month, a reorganization under Norby Williamson, executive editor and head of event and studio production, assigned new roles to Amanda Gifford and Mark Gross. Moreover, Mike McQuade, Phil Orlins, Shawn Murphy, Maria Soares and Andy Tennan all received different properties and initiatives with the intent of aligning the network for sustained and consistent growth. Pitaro himself announced other organizations that streamline direct reports, involving new roles and/or responsibilities for Rosalyn Durant, Burke Magnus and Tina Thornton among others.
