EXCLUSIVE: Brett Weitz is leaving as General Manager of TNT, TBS and truTV. He will be transitioning out of his role in the next 30 days, and his last day will mark his 14th anniversary in the TNets.
Weitz’s departure comes weeks after the Discovery-WarnerMedia merger was completed, as her position was eliminated following the restructuring of the US Network Group Division under Discovery’s Kathleen Finch, who added TNets to his portfolio.
“These last 14 years have been the most fulfilling of my career,” Weitz said. “I have had the great fortune to create and launch Emmy-winning, fan-favorite entertainment, to be a part of powerful life-changing initiatives, and most importantly, to have had the privilege of leading the most talented, dedicated, selfless and innovative team at TNets. We delivered huge returns for shareholders and brilliant content for fans while having the most fun and being better partners with talent than any other team I’ve ever been a part of. I will surely continue to support all of you.”
A highly regarded veteran television executive, Weitz was named General Manager of TNT, TBS and truTV in October 2019. In his role, he managed all three networks, helping TNT and TBS maintain their positions as the #1 networks and #2 among all cable entertainment networks and truTV among the youngest and richest. Some of Weitz’s recent accomplishments include developing and releasing scripted hits snow drills, Y Chad; the 300th episode milestone american dadthe successful revival of the reality series Clean and the growth of two sports/unscripted franchises: AEW, which it expanded into three series across two networks, and impractical pranksterswhich launched several series and a great movie.
In his previous role as executive vice president of programming for TBS, Weitz was instrumental in revitalizing the network’s comedy brand with the last og, which recently ended after four seasons, as well as the night Full frontal with Samantha Bee. Weitz previously served as SVP Scripted Development for TBS and TNT, where he developed a variety of successful series including The Last Ship, Rizzoli & Isles Y Dallas.
Weitz also developed defined brand lanes for all three TNets – TBS’s Always Here For A Good Time, TNT’s Always Here For A Thrill Ride and truTV’s Always Here For A Good Laugh – which collectively delivered six of the top 10 sitcoms, two of the best dramas and eight of the top 10 movies of each year. Additionally, Weitz championed the MORE initiative, a multifaceted campaign that highlights content that celebrates all cultures and showcases diverse stories and voices.
The writing has been on the wall as TNT and TBS began to move away from original scripted programming shortly after the merger was complete, with Warner Bros. leadership Discovery making its first major cost-cutting moves at TNets by switching drastically its programming composition.
new comedy series Kill the orange faced bear Starring Damon Wayans Jr. it was dropped a week before production was to begin and development on the new script was put on hold. erased, a new series of cobra kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald, who had been ordered by TBS, recently moved to Netflix. Also, TNT and TBS have just handed out the SAG Awards after more than two decades.
Weitz had already run the three linear networks through a transformation process. There was a reduction in orders for scripted series and pilots on TNets over the last year and a half, as the networks at the same time have bolstered its unscripted sports and entertainment offerings while continuing to rely on acquired content. Still, Weitz, a respected development executive who worked at Columbia Tri-Star Television, 20th Century Fox Television and fox21 before joining Turner, remained committed to scripted programming..
WarnerMedia’s basic linear cable networks had been identified as the main cost-cutting targets for Warner Bros. Discovery, with more exits and layoffs expected.