ABC ousts high-level programming executive

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Walt Disney Co.’s ABC ousted a high-level television programming executive, Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs, on Friday as part of a management restructuring.

ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee eliminated Patmore-Gibbs’ job to streamline the programming division, an ABC spokesperson confirmed. Now the two executives in charge of comedy and drama programming, Samie Kim Falvey and Channing Dungey, will report directly to Lee. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.

Nearly two years ago, Patmore-Gibbs -- who worked for Disney for nearly a decade and was instrumental in the development of such ABC hits as ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Desperate Housewives’ -- became an executive vice president with wide-ranging duties, including overseeing development of all scripted programming as well as managing shows on the air.

She joined the network in 2004. Before working at ABC, Patmore-Gibbs was a development executive in Disney’s Touchstone Television studio.

Patmore-Gibbs was not immediately available for comment.

-- Meg James