Sony ups Frost, Parnell, Clodfelter for TV

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has promoted three of its executives to replace outgoing TV presidents Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, who are joining Apple.

Jeff Frost

Van Amburg, who joined Sony in 1997, and Erlicht, who started in 2002, were appointed presidents of US programming and production at Sony Pictures Television (SPT) in 2005 but had their remits extended last year after Steve Mosko’s exit.

SPE then restructured its TV division to “streamline management” levels, before Van Amburg and Erlicht revealed last month that they would be leaving.

Sony has now named Jeff Frost, the head of business affairs at its TV division, as president at SPT Studios, which covers the production side of Sony Pictures Entertainment television output and shows such as Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

Frost, who joined Sony from ABC Studios almost a decade ago, reports to Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra, as well as Andy Kaplan, head of worldwide networks, Keith Le Goy, who oversees distribution, and Amy Carney, president of advertising and research.

Meanwhile, Chris Parnell and Jason Clodfelter, joint heads of drama development and programming, become co-presidents of SPT Studios and will report to Frost.

Parnell joined SPT in 2003 and Clodfelter in 2006, working on shows such as Breaking Bad, Preacher and Justified.

The trio will make up a new “office of the president” team, which will oversee all US programming and production at SPT Studios. Wayne Garvie will remain chief creative officer for SPT International Production and reports to Vinciquerra.

Vinciquerra said Frost, Parnell and Clodfelter “will not only grow our robust television business, but also strengthen the integration between SPT and SPE’s other lines of business and with the other Sony Group companies.”

Frost added: “The landscape of our business continues to rapidly evolve, and SPT is in an ideal position to take advantage of industry shifts due to our diversity of programming and ability to air across a broad array of broadcast, cable and digital platforms.”

Erlicht and Van Amburg were reporting directly to chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Michael Lynton following last year’s restructure. However, he announced he was leaving in January and former Fox Networks Group chairman Vinciquerra was confirmed as his replacement in May.