Charter Names Franz to Head Development and Production at Spectrum Originals

Charter Communications said it has tapped industry veteran Julia Franz as head of development and production at Spectrum Originals, the cable operator’s original content arm. Franz will be based in Los Angeles and will report to Katherine Pope, who was named head of original content in January.

In this newly created role, Franz will oversee the development and production of Charter’s upcoming slate of original series that will be viewed first by Spectrum customers. She will also work with Pope to manage the content partnerships with Viacom and AMC, and other partnerships established in the future.

“Julia is a seasoned industry veteran with over 20 years of relevant experience, and a successful track record of creating and producing original content,” Pope said in a statement. “She is an incredibly well-respected executive who brings intelligence, humanity and creativity to everything she does, and we are excited to have her join our Originals team.”

Prior to joining Charter, Franz worked as a creative consultant for Platform One Media and STX Entertainment where she also served as an executive producer on “State of Affairs.” She spent 15 years at The Walt Disney Co. where she served in several roles, including five years as executive VP overseeing both comedy and drama development and current programming for Touchstone Television and ABC Studios. She also spent two years under an overall producing deal at Sony Pictures Television and FanFare.