Susanne Daniels, former president of entertainment at Lifetime and head of programming at the WB, has been named MTV's new president of programming, the network said Monday.
Daniels is replacing head of programming David Janollari, who opted not to renew his contract after three years at the network.
While at the WB (now known as the CW), Daniels was responsible for series such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “Felicity,” “Smallville,” “Gilmore Girls,” “7th Heaven” and “Charmed.” Her tenure at Lifetime included developing the series "Drop Dead Diva" and "Army Wives."
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Daniels, whose career also includes a stint as director of comedy development at Fox (where she was responsible for projects such as "Living Single" and "Martin"), will be based in Los Angeles, reporting to MTV Music & Logo Group president Van Toffler and MTV president Stephen Friedman.
In her new position, Daniels will oversee all development and programming for the network, which includes scripted and reality series, news and documentaries, production and talent.
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“Susanne’s delivered more breakthrough pop culture hits in one decade than most producers do in their entire lifetimes," Toffler said of the hire. "Very few people have the talent and instincts to consistently develop shows that connect with young audiences, but Susanne has thankfully kept in perfect touch with her juvenile side and we’re extremely lucky she will now be joining our restless, creative family here at MTV.”
Friedman praised Janollari's efforts during his three-year tenure, especially in building up MTV's roster of scripted programs.
“David played an important role in advancing MTV’s leadership position the last few years – particularly in fortifying our scripted programming strategy with such hits as ‘Teen Wolf’ and ‘Awkward’ and the critically acclaimed ‘I Just Want my Pants Back,’” Friedman said. “We will always be grateful for his contributions and wish him the best.”
Daniels most recently served as a consultant, during which she helped turn around ratings for Oprah Winfrey's OWN.