Exclusive: Samuels, Nelson, Terry Departing Disney/ABC's 'Katie'

Staff changes taking place as new EP Miskowiec sets up shop

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/10/2013 4:39:42 PM

Three key executives are departing Disney/ABC's Katie after the recent hiring of new executive producer Rachel Miskowiec.

Co-Executive Producer Kathy Samuels, who started with the show last summer, is moving off of Katie but will still work with ABC to develop new projects.

Another co-executive producer, Ethan Nelson, also is leaving. Nelson started in January and worked under Michael Morrison, who also has left the program.

Finally, Joseph Terry, the show's director, is departing. Terry spent more than a decade working on CBS Television Distribution's Oprah, including directing the iconic talk show.

Miskowiec hasn't made any new hires yet, but those are expected as she ramps up the show for season two under her leadership.

Miskowiec is the third executive producer on the show, which stars former Today show and CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric. Miskowiec follows Morrison, who took over for Jeff Zucker in January after Zucker left to run CNN. Another Katie co-EP, Michael Bass, also departed in April, although Bass has a long working relationship with Zucker and was expected to follow him to CNN.

Couric also is an executive producer.

Miskowiec is a daytime vet, having executive produced Warner Bros.' The Tyra Banks Show, for which she won two Daytime Emmys. She also executive produced Warner Bros.' Dr. Drew's Lifechangers and OWN's Your Best Life Now.

She has served as senior supervising producer on Twentieth's Judge Hatchett, and supervising producer on Sony Pictures Television's Life & Style. She also spent more than eight years on SPT's The Ricki Lake Show, where she ended her run as supervising senior producer. Most recently, she was a development exec at Telepictures, Warner Bros. Television's first-run production arm.