Amazon Studios to restructure MGM following Burnett exit

Amazon Studios has restructured operations at MGM, with Jennifer Salke taking overall control of The Handmaid’s Tale studio and new roles for Rola Bauer and Lindsay Sloane.

Jennifer Salke

MGM’s Bauer, who had been president of international TV, becomes head of pan English scripted SVOD TV, and Sloane – previously SVP of scripted TV – becoming head of MGM US scripted TV.

The duo report into Amazon Studios head of TV, Vernon Sanders, who in turn reports to Salke.

Sanders, who has been behind the rejig, is also moving the Orion Television label into the MGM US scripted TV division. Bradley Gardner, who had led the Orion team, is departing as a result, although he is in talks over a producing deal.

Other changes will see Michael Wright remain in charge of Epix, which is to rebrand as MGM+, and unscripted president Barry Poznick will retain his position.

Poznick will work with MGN’s Brian Edwards on unscripted, with both reporting into COO, Chris Brearton, who is also staying.

The restructure comes a day after MGM confirmed that Mark Burnett would be stepping down from the company, six months after its $8.5bn

Burnett, who had been chairman of MGM’s Worldwide Television Group, will continue to work on some of the company’s longest running shows, including Survivor for CBS, The Voice for NBC and Shark Tank for ABC.

However, he said in a staff memo he would “step away from day to day management and back into independently creating and innovating…”.