Warner Bros exec Peter Roth - who oversaw development of The West Wing, Big Bang Theory and Gilmore Girls - steps down as chairman after 22 years
- Peter Roth will leave his job as chairman of Warner Bros Television Group in 2021
- The veteran TV exec has been at the helm of the production studio since 1999
- He was appointed chairman in February after signing a one-year extension to his contract which was due to expire this summer
- CEO Ann Sarnoff said Roth felt 'this was the right time to transition'
- Former Netflix exec Channing Dungey is rumored to be his successor
Peter Roth will leave his job as chairman of Warner Bros Television Group in 2021, the company announced on Friday
Veteran television executive Peter Roth is stepping down as chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group after 22 years at the helm of the studio.
Roth is best known for overseeing the development of several hit shows including The West Wing, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Gilmore Girls, and Gossip Girl.
In a statement released on Friday, Warner Bros announced Roth will leave his post in early 2021.
Ann Sarnoff, chair and chief executive of Warner Media Studios and Networks Group, revealed Roth's departure had been in the works for 'some time.'
'[W]hile there's never a great moment to say goodbye, he felt that this was the right time to transition in a new leader for the group,' she said.
'We're thankful for his contributions to our company and wish him the very best.'
Roth's departure comes after he was appointed chairman of the company in February, when he signed a one-year extension to his contract that was due to expire this summer.
The veteran TV exec has been at the helm of the studio since 1999. He is pictured with actress Kaley Cuoco, Time Warner CEO John Stankey (far left) and TV producer Chuck Lorre at the Big Bang Theory series finale party in 2019
Roth was expected to be replaced by WBTV President Susan Rovner (right) before she left the studio in September. Channing Dungey (left) former Netflix exec and ex-president of ABC Entertainment, is rumored to be Roth's successor
Roth on Friday said he was thankful that he was 'able to say farewell at the right time in the right way and for the right reason.'
'Working at Warner Bros. has been the greatest, most meaningful, most rewarding experience of my career,' he said.
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'I look forward to the next chapter of my career and remaining connected to those people who have meant so much to me.'
Roth is best known for overseeing the development of several hit shows including The West Wing and The Big Bang Theory (pictured)
He was also the force behind popular teen series Gossip Girl
Prior to joining Warner Bros. in 1999, Roth developed programming for the Fox and ABC TV networks.
He was expected to be replaced by WBTV President Susan Rovner before she left the studio in September to become the new chairman of NBCUniversal's TV & streaming division.
Sarnoff took over the studio and networks group in August as part of a restructuring of AT&T's WarnerMedia unit to focus on the HBO Max streaming business.
No replacement for Roth was named.
Channing Dungey, former Netflix exec and ex-president of ABC Entertainment, is rumored to be Roth's successor, according to Deadline.
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