Nancy Dubuc is moving up the ladder, again, at A+E Networks.
Already president-g.m. of History and Lifetime, the exec will now also have cabler A&E in her domain with her promotion to president of entertainment and media for corporate parent A+E Networks.
She’ll now oversee all content creation, brand development and marketing for all of the TV and digital assets of A+E Networks, jointly owned by Hearst Corp. and Disney.
Dubuc continues to report to president-CEO Abbe Raven, who will now concentrate more on the business side of the cable conglom’s operation. A&E network topper Bob DeBitetto will now report to Dubuc. DeBitetto and Dubuc have worked closely together for years, and her elevation is not expected to spur any major shakeups at the A&E cabler.
“A+E Networks is a leading global media company whose primary product is content,” Raven said. “Nancy is one of the most dynamic and creative executives working in media today. Having all our global brands and content creation under her purview brings a natural synergy given her track record of success.”
History, which was formerly best known for grainy WWII docus, has become a ratings force with male viewers since Dubuc took over in 2007. Net is currently the No. 2 cabler in adults 25-54 and rose from No. 17 five years ago to No. 5.
Shows such as “Pawn Stars,” “Swamp People” and “Ax Men” have been huge hits for History, as was miniseries “Hatfields and McCoys,” which set ratings records and garnered 16 Emmy nominations.
Next year History is set to launch “Vikings,” which would be its first scripted series. Also upcoming are big projects “The Men Who Built America,” “Mankind: The Story of Us” and “The Bible.”
At the femme-skewing Lifetime, which had been long mired in a ratings slump and was not an obvious choice for writers to bring projects, Dubuc is revamping the network with a new mix of reality and scripted fare. “Dance Moms” has proven to be a hit, and Jennifer Love Hewitt starrer “The Client List” was renewed for a second season.
Year to date Lifetime is up 11% in the 18-49 demo.
Assisting Dubuc in her rise up the ranks at both nets have been History senior Dirk Hoogstra and Lifetime exec VP Rob Sharenow. Both will continue reporting to her.
“I look forward to this next chapter working with Abbe and leading the network teams to new heights, expanding our global footprint and increasing our digital content offerings,” she said.
