Kevin Reilly Headed to Turner (UPDATED)

11.04.2014

UPDATED Nov. 4, 2:30 p.m. PT:Â

Turner Broadcasting System president made it official Tuesday with a memo to staff. Reilly is named president of TNT and TBS and chief creative officer for Turner Entertainment.Â He will also head up a newly created Turner Entertainment Programming Council, uniting the top programming execs at TNT, TBS, Adult Swim and truTV to develop cross-platform offerings. He will start sometime this fall. Levy's full memo is below.

â€‹He succeeds Michael Wright, but with a broader portfolio that includes marketing and brand creative services in addition to content development, business affairs, production and programming.Â

Reilly's arrival comes as Turner's parent company Time Warner is shedding jobs left and right across all of its divisions. Turner was also forced to take a costly $400 million write-down due to costly programming deals.

But Time Warner and Turner execs sounded an optimistic note about the cable channels' future during an investor call this quarter, and both have seen programming pivots pay off in recent years. TNT is aiming for more prestige dramas and genre offerings, while TBS has built a collection of successful off-net syndicated properties and light night offerings.

Reilly's Turner gig is the latest in a resume that includes the nine-year stint as entertainment president at Fox, and then an earlier three-year run with the same title at NBC. He also worked at FX and Brad Grey Television.

Read More atÂ The Hollywood Reporter, Variety

Brief Take: Reilly's move signals that broadcast vets see cable as an exciting place to make television in today's landscape. It also signal's Turner's desire to have a veteran executive with ample broadcast experience to shepherd two major cable networks into a space where they can attract a broader audience.

Turner Broadcasting System president David Levy's memo to staff on Tuesday:

It is my pleasure to announce that Kevin Reilly is the new president of TBS and TNT and chief creative officer for Turner Entertainment. In this dual role, Kevin will be responsible for overseeing and leading the TNT and TBS networks and brands, including all content development; business affairs and production; marketing, brand and creative services; digital platforms; and program scheduling, planning and content-monetization strategies.

As chief creative officer, Kevin will chair the newly formed Turner Entertainment Programming Council, a coordinated effort engaging the senior programming executives of TNT, TBS, Adult Swim and truTV to explore and develop cross-platform opportunities; expand the division's pipeline of leading content; and position and advantage Turner as the premier partner for creative providers of every genre. This council will be about influence, creative collaboration, maximizing relationships in the creative community and increasing our strength and leveraging power in the war for content.

Kevin is one of the most respected, innovative and influential executives in the television industry. He most recently served as entertainment chairman for FOX after holding similar positions at NBC and FX. With credits like Glee, 30 Rock and The Shield, it's obvious that Kevin doesn't shy away from taking bold programming risks and championing quality television. He was also among the first broadcast network executives to push for meaningful investment in digital and social media. See the attached press release for a more complete look at Kevin's extraordinary accomplishments.

Kevin joins us at a time when TBS, TNT and Adult Swim are enjoying ratings success, and truTV is in the midst of an extensive brand and programming refresh. But this is also a time when our networks are facing significant challenges, especially in growing our reach among young adults. I'm confident that Kevin has the energy, creativity, personality and leadership style to bring a fresh programming eye to the networks and position them for sustained growth in today's changing environment. Kevin is set to join the company this fall. He'll spend his first few weeks acquainting himself with the network teams and getting up to speed. This fall, we'll set up a full staff meeting to give all of you the chance to hear directly from Kevin and see for yourself what a great addition he is to our company.