Carsey-Werner Ups Paul Schreiber To Lead Distribution Unit As President, North America

Carsey-Werner Television has tapped EVP Paul Schreiber, who has steadily risen through the sales ranks of the company since his arrival 26 years ago, to lead all day-to-day distribution operations, as president, North America.

Schreiber will lead all distribution and licensing efforts for the company’s portfolio featuring more than 2,000 half-hours of off-network scripted comedies. His responsibilities will include overseeing sales for basic cable, digital broadcasting and streaming for both the U.S. and Canada.

Series titles include That ’70s Show, Roseanne, The Cosby Show, 3^rd Rock From, Grace Under Fire, Grounded for Life and A Different World.

Additionally, Schreiber and his team will be tasked with bringing The Conners, from Tom Werner and Sara Gilbert and now in its fifth season, to the off-network market. ABC shifted the comedy, which will have 91 episodes completed by the end of this season, from 9 to 8 p.m. Wednesday this fall into the lead anchor position. After three weeks, it ranks as the network’s top-rated sitcom in total viewers for the night.

In his new role, Schreiber will follow longtime Domestic Distribution President Jim Kraus, who is moving into a senior consultant role with the company after a 45-year career in the television syndication business. Kraus joined Carsey-Werner in 1999 as EVP/general sales manager following a lengthy career at Universal’s syndication unit, MCA-TV.

In addition to programming sales, Schreiber will now directly oversee all internal departments and external agencies including marketing, research, affiliate relations, publicity, corporate communications and digital entertainment strategies.

Schreiber said he plans to put a heavy emphasis on value-added promotional show activations and social media activities for clients acquiring the prolific array of iconic, award-winning hit off-network sitcom titles from producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner. Their latest executive producing collaboration, Netflix’s upcoming That ’90s Show, reunites them with That ’70s Show creators, Bonnie and Terry Turner.

Prior to joining Carsey-Werner, Kraus was EVP/sales & marketing at MCA-TV for six years. There, he led off-net sales of many of the studio’s legendary 1980s and ’90s off-network dramas including Magnum PI, Simon & Simon, The A-Team, Quantum Leap, Miami Vice and Law & Order; the sitcom Coach, among many others; and multiple Universal film packages.

Kraus joined MCA-TV in 1982 as a Northeast regional sales manager before being promoted to VP the following year and SVP-national sales manager in 1987. Earlier, he was a regional sales manager for Telepictures for two years after arriving from MGM TV, where he was elevated to Western regional sales manager within a year of joining in 1977 as a sales trainee.

Schreiber joined Carsey-Werner in 1996 as a Midwest divisional manager and, upon Kraus’ arrival, was quickly promoted in 2000 to VP-sales manager in the Chicago office. Three years later, he was elevated to become SVP of the entire distribution unit, leading the company’s regional VPs. Schreiber moved into his previous EVP role in 2010.