ABC programming chief Stephen McPherson has abruptly resigned from the network after a six-year tenure in which the network aired such provocative series as Desperate Housewives and Lost but ended last season in third place among the big four networks.
McPherson submitted his resignation as ABC Entertainment Group president and the company accepted, the Disney-ABC Television Group said in a brief statement Tuesday. His replacement will be announced soon, according to the statement, in which McPherson was quoted as thanking the people with whom he'd worked.
His departure from the top programming job at ABC comes just days before the network's presentation of its fall schedule to a meeting of TV reporters and critics. The network is set to bring the cast and producers of new and returning shows to the Television Critics Association gathering Aug. 1 in Beverly Hills.
The fall season begins in September, with ABC's schedule having been assembled by McPherson and featuring new series stars including Matthew Perry, Michael Imperioli, Michael Chiklis and Dana Delany.
When he started in 2004, McPherson had helped turn the network around after an over-reliance on Who Wants to be a Millionaire by his predecessors had severely cut into ratings and advertising revenues.
But, unlike its three chief rivals, ABC lost viewers last season as hits like Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy started aging.
Yet the network's biggest risk of last fall -- filling Wednesday with four new comedies -- was a success. Three of them are returning and one, "Modern Family," is considered one of the freshest new shows on TV.
In a separate statement released by his publicist, McPherson said he would divide his attention for his next business efforts.
"I will be announcing my future plans shortly which will include a new entrepreneurial venture in the spirits business," he said in the statement. "While I will continue with my ongoing wine business, I'll also reveal plans for my involvement in a new media company."
McPherson submitted his resignation as ABC Entertainment Group president and the company accepted, the Disney-ABC Television Group said in a brief statement Tuesday. His replacement will be announced soon, according to the statement, in which McPherson was quoted as thanking the people with whom he'd worked.
His departure from the top programming job at ABC comes just days before the network's presentation of its fall schedule to a meeting of TV reporters and critics. The network is set to bring the cast and producers of new and returning shows to the Television Critics Association gathering Aug. 1 in Beverly Hills.
The fall season begins in September, with ABC's schedule having been assembled by McPherson and featuring new series stars including Matthew Perry, Michael Imperioli, Michael Chiklis and Dana Delany.
When he started in 2004, McPherson had helped turn the network around after an over-reliance on Who Wants to be a Millionaire by his predecessors had severely cut into ratings and advertising revenues.
But, unlike its three chief rivals, ABC lost viewers last season as hits like Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy started aging.
Yet the network's biggest risk of last fall -- filling Wednesday with four new comedies -- was a success. Three of them are returning and one, "Modern Family," is considered one of the freshest new shows on TV.
In a separate statement released by his publicist, McPherson said he would divide his attention for his next business efforts.
"I will be announcing my future plans shortly which will include a new entrepreneurial venture in the spirits business," he said in the statement. "While I will continue with my ongoing wine business, I'll also reveal plans for my involvement in a new media company."
