ABC taps CBS veteran Andy Kubitz to oversee scheduling

ABC has wooed a veteran CBS executive for a key position at the network.

Andy Kubitz, CBS senior vice president of scheduling, is expected to join Walt Disney Co.’s ABC as its top scheduler, people close to the situation said.

Kubitz will fill the void at ABC left by the departure of its scheduler Jeff Bader, who bolted from the network earlier this month for NBC. Bader had been with ABC for almost 25 years but the lure of a bigger title and paycheck at the Peacock network proved irresistible.

At CBS, Kubitz was the longtime No. 2 scheduler under the well-regarded Kelly Kahl, who has played a key role in guiding the network’s program strategy for more than a decade.

Network schedulers figure out what shows work best where and often their influence can extend to what programs a network will actually order.

At ABC, Kubitz will have his work cut out for him. While the network has some strong shows in “Modern Family” and “Once Upon a Time,” it also has several new offerings premiering this fall that will need nurturing and patience.

With the hiring of Kubitz, three of the big four networks will go into the fall with new schedulers at the helm. Besides Bader at NBC, Fox earlier this year named Dan Harrison its new head of program planning to replace Preston Beckman, who has taken on an advisory role as he eases into retirement.

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Follow Joe Flint on Twitter @JBFlint.