Matt Cherniss is stepping down as the president and general manager of WGN America and Tribune Studios.
Cherniss, who has held the roles since March 2013, will exit at the end of this month. Gavin Harvey, who previously worked as an executive at E! and FX, will serve as interim president.
“I’ve had the great honor of leading the transformation of WGN America from a superstation to a fully distributed cable network, and the great privilege of leading a talented and wonderful team,” Cherniss said in a statement. “I am tremendously proud of all of the strides we’ve made and what we were able to accomplish in a short period of time.”
Under Cherniss, the network’s advertisers more than doubled, and distribution expanded by nearly 10 million households.
Cherniss’ tenure included a focus on original programming, to mixed results. WGN America launched its first original series in 2014 with “Salem,” followed by the dramas “Manhattan,” “Underground” and “Outsiders.” All four have since been canceled, as “Underground” was grounded last month after two seasons, “Outsiders” got the axe in April after two seasons and “Salem” signed off for good in January after three seasons.
Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired Tribune Media last month, and Sinclair president and CEO Chris Ripley announced that WGN America is moving away from originals.
“I’ve been fortunate to work closely with Gavin over the years, and he is a terrific executive with an impressive track record of building brands and delivering programming that resonates with viewers, advertisers and distributers,” said Tribune Media Company chief executive officer Peter Kern. “I have no doubt that he can steer WGN America to continued growth and profitability.”