ESPN President JOHN SKIPPER added five more direct reports, as the company shuffled responsibilities in its programming and production departments in the wake of JOHN WILDHACK's departure to be Syracuse AD. Senior VP/ESPN Films & Original Content CONNOR SCHELL and Senior VP/Event & Studio Production STEPHANIE DRULEY added the most responsibility. Schell will oversee ESPN2’s daytime line-up (“First Take,” “His & Hers” and “Mike & Mike”), management of NBA studio shows, ESPN Audio and the talent office -- all of which previously were managed by Exec VP/Production NORBY WILLIAMSON. Schell will continue to oversee ESPN Films, the ESPYs and ESPN’s afternoon line-up (“PTI,” “Around the Horn,” “Highly Questionable” and “SportsNation”). Druley will take over ESPN’s remote production, which includes studio shows for the NFL, MLB and college, which had been handled by Senior VP/Production & Remote Events MARK GROSS, who now reports to Druley. She will continue to oversee ESPN’s college productions. Exec VP/Programming & Scheduling BURKE MAGNUS will continue to handle all program acquisitions, rights holder relations and scheduling. Williamson will add production and media sponsorship integration that had been handled by Senior VP TINA THORNTON, who now reports to Williamson. He also adds new duties in an at-large creative television role to develop new initiatives in addition to his current roles overseeing production operations, remote operations, stats and information, creative and studio direction and ESPN Int'l and ESPN Deportes production. Senior VP/“SportsCenter” & News ROB KING will continue to oversee “SportsCenter.” In a memo sent to ESPN employees this morning, Skipper wrote, “My focus remains on three primary initiatives critical to ESPN’s growth and future success: working with our entire senior management team to navigate the changes in our industry; ensuring that our overall content portfolio remains the best in the business; and firmly establishing throughout the company the next generation of ESPN leadership.”
