Mark Pedowitz worked as Chairman and CEO of The CW for almost twelve years. According to Deadline, he is stepping down as Nexstar Media Group takes over The CW. The job will be given to Nexstar board member Dennis Miller. According to Deadline, the new owners plan to take the CW in a new direction.
The exit of Pedowitz from The CW is effective immediately. Pedowitz plans to revive his Pine Street Entertainment company, where he worked before being appointed CW president in 2011. As for his return to producing, WBTV or CBS are likely studio homes for his return.
Pedowitz’s exit is set to be the beginning of the end for The CW as it has been, a broadcast network built on original scripted series. According to Deadline, Nexstar announced that there will be a shift toward broader and cheaper programming among the changes that will take place in The CW. This is intended to make the network profitable in the future.
Part of Pedowitz’s legacy at CW is his focus on expanding the audience of the network to attract older and male viewers. He also ramped up the CW’s diversity and inclusion efforts. These efforts are evident as, according to Deadline, in the 2021-22 season, two-thirds of the showrunners, writers, and directors working on CW’s original scripted series were women and/or people of color. While nearly half of the series regulars were women, and more than half were people of color. Also, The CW has the highest percentage of LGBTQ+ series regular characters for the fifth year in a row. Pedowitz should be proud of the legacy of representation and inclusion that he created at the network.
During his time in the CW, Pedowitz oversaw creating and producing a slate of shows that have become a staple for the younger generations. He is responsible for launching the DC comics series that started with shows like Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow. It has now expanded and includes shows like Batwoman, Superman and Louise, and Stargirl. He also continued supporting the long-time running show Supernatural until its final season in 2020. Pedowitz also created shows like Riverdale, Nancy Drew, and All American which have become popular shows. Under Pedowitz’s leadership, The CW broke into the awards circle winning Golden Globes for comedy series like Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Amid all the uncertainty, Pedowitz took the opportunity to say farewell during the CW’s presentation in May. He took a final bow at the end, surrounded by the network’s stars. The public shall see what awaits the CW and their favorite series from the network.