Netflix TV Chief Exits in Shake-Up -- WSJ
September 09 2020 - 3:02AM
Dow Jones News
By Joe Flint
This article is being republished as part of our daily
reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S.
print edition of The Wall Street Journal (September 9, 2020).
In a major overhaul at Netflix Inc., Bela Bajaria has been put
in charge of global television and Cindy Holland, an architect of
the streaming giant's original-content strategy, is leaving, the
company said Tuesday.
In her new role, Ms. Bajaria will oversee all original series
for Netflix around the globe. Ms. Bajaria, who joined Netflix in
2016, had previously been in charge of unscripted programming and
international content, the latter of which has become a priority
for Netflix over the past several years.
The restructuring of the unit leapfrogged Ms. Bajaria over Ms.
Holland, who has been at Netflix for nearly 20 years and now finds
herself without a job. Ms. Holland was instrumental in developing
and greenlighting much of Netflix's original content, including
shows such as "House of Cards," "Orange is the New Black" and
"Stranger Things."
The departure of Ms. Holland is a stark reminder of the culture
at Netflix, where even the most senior and acclaimed executives are
often let go if management decides there is someone better suited
for their job waiting in the wings.
In a memo to staff about the executive changes, the company
simply said there was now no role for Ms. Holland, so she will
leave in October.
The moves come just weeks after Netflix Chief Content Officer
Ted Sarandos became a co-chief executive of the company along with
Reed Hastings. Mr. Sarandos wanted to put all of television under
one executive similar to the way the company's film operations are
run.
"Since becoming co-CEO, I've wanted to simplify the way our
content teams operate -- with one global film team led by Scott
Stuber and one for TV, which will now be led by Bela Bajaria. Since
joining Netflix in 2016, Bela has demonstrated her versatility and
creativity -- building out our unscripted team and helping to take
our local language slate, which is increasingly important for our
members, to the next level," Mr. Sarandos said in a memo.
The decision to jettison Ms. Holland, whose record was admired
throughout the entertainment industry, stunned many in
Hollywood.
"These kinds of changes are never easy, and I am enormously
grateful to Cindy Holland for everything she has done over the last
18 years at Netflix," Mr. Sarandos said.
Ms. Holland couldn't be reached for comment. In a statement she
said, she "loved every moment" at the company.
For Ms. Bajaria, the promotion caps a meteoric rise at the
streaming service. She joined Netflix in 2016 after running Comcast
Corp.'s Universal Television production arm, where among the shows
she developed were the Netflix comedies "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
and "Master of None." Ms. Bajaria was recently approached by
NBCUniversal for a senior programming role, people familiar with
the matter said.
At Netflix, she was initially in charge of unscripted content,
and then added international programming to her portfolio. The
shows she played a role in guiding most recently include "You,"
"Unorthodox," and the Mexican thriller "Dark Desire." She also
greenlit the popular dating show "Indian Matchmaking."
Write to Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 09, 2020 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)
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