Veteran syndication executive Lisa Hackner is in the process of transitioning out of her post as EVP Daytime and Syndicated Programming. She is expected to depart later this month. There are no immediate plans for replacement.
The move does not come as a surprise. Hackner was hired in fall 2013 by former ABC president Paul Lee to oversee unscripted daytime programming and syndicated development. The only new series that she and her team got on the air, Tyra Banks’ FABLife, lasted a season after a rocky run.
Disney
The executive changes in ABC daytime started in the spring. Following Lee’s replacement with Channing Dungey, Rebecca Campbell, president of ABC’s stations, was given oversight of ABC’s daytime lineup, including The Chew and FABFive that had been under Hackner’s purview. (Campbell also was put in charge of ABC’s scripted daytime series, General Hospital, previously overseen by Vicki Dummer.)
Then earlier this week, there were layoffs of key people in Hackner’s Los Angeles-based team that reportedly led to Hackner’s decision to leave. All unscripted ABC daytime shows are being produced in New York, including Live with Kelly! and The Chew, and with no shows in LA to oversee and no projects in the pipeline, a decision was made to effectively disband Hackner’s group. (The View is being handled by ABC News.)
Before ABC, Hackner had a respectable decade-long run at Warner Bros.’ Telepictures Prods where she developed and piloted daytime talk shows Bethenny, TMZ, Anderson Live and The Tyra Banks Show.
