Ex-Fox chief scores overall deal with NBC

Former Fox chief Peter Chernin has secured an overall TV production deal with NBCUniversal.

Under terms of the pact, Chernin Television will develop and produce programming for NBC with the Comcast Communications-owned studio’s writing pool.

The deal means Chernin will produce exclusively for NBC in the broadcast space, but excludes cable and other platforms, which he will be able to develop for independently.

At the same time, Chernin has promoted Jenno Topping to president of film and television at Chernin Entertainment, and a head of television development and production is to be named soon.

She replaces Katherine Pope, who this week was named head of television at Jeff Robinov’s new producer, Studio 8, which is making the move into television.

Since leaving his post as COO and president of News Corp (now 21^st Century Fox) in 2009, Chernin has produced programming such as Fox comedy New Girl through a deal with 20^th Century Fox Television.

NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said Chernin was “an innovator and strategist” who “loves entertaining broad audiences on a big scale with great storytelling”.

Greenblatt began his TV career working under Chernin as a junior drama exec while at Fox. Furthermore, NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke worked for Chernin while at 20^th Century Fox Television.