Ex-MTV exec joins A+E as Sharenow rises

Former MTV development chief Eli Lehrer has joined A+E Networks, as A&E channel chief Rob Sharenow rises to a programming president position.

Lehrer will return to A+E as executive VP of programming at History, with Sharenow overseeing the US cable network as president of programming of the wider group.

Sharenow is now control of all content for A+E, with his promotion coming soon after the exit of former History president Jana Bennett.

He will take over many of Bennett’s duties, working closely with A+E commercial and business chief Paul Buccieri.

Lehrer will lead development of scripted and unscripted programming for history, with Liz Gateley at Lifetime and Elaine Frontain Bryant at A&E remaining in their EVP roles.

Additionally, Paul Cabana has been upped to EVP of Biography and History Digital and Thomas Moody becomes EVP of programme strategy and acquisitions across the A+E group.

Bryant, Gateley, Moody and Lehrer will report to Sharenow, with Cabana reporting to A+E’s president of international and digital media, Sean Cohan.

The long-serving Sharenow was most recently EVP and general manager of A&E and Lifetime. He took on A&E after the exit of David McKillop, who went on to co-found Propagate Content, which A+E then bought into after former NBC Entertainment chairman Ben Silverman took over.

“Streamlining our portfolio’s creative structure under Rob combined with Paul’s business leadership will allow us to accelerate our creative decisions, deal making and strategies,” said A+E CEO and president Nancy Dubuc.

“Together with Elaine, Liz, Tom and now Eli returning home to A+E Networks, Rob’s programming team has a wealth of experience and some of television’s biggest hits in cable under their belts. I look forward to seeing their passion and creativity lead our networks to continued success.”

Lehrer is returning to Disney- and Hearst-owned A+E after previously serving as senior VP and head of non-fiction programming at Lifetime.

After exiting, he became MTV’s head of development and EVP of MTV2, but exited in March amid restructuring.

He has also been head of development at NBCUniversal-owned Bravo.

Lehrer’s duties in scripted will not stretch to the A&E channel, which in April pulled out of drama and comedy programming to focus on documentary and reality.