Sony Pictures TV Studios Ups Karen Tatevosian To EVP Business Affairs

Sony Pictures Television Studios has promoted veteran Sony TV exec Karen Tatevosian to EVP U.S. business affairs. She replaces Jeff Frost, who was recently elevated to President of Sony Pictures Television Studios. Her promotion is part of leadership changes at the studio’s television production operation made by Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra following the exit of SPT presidents Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht.

Tatevosian, who was Frost’s No.2, will oversee the studio’s U.S. business affairs, including negotiations with talent and partners across platforms, as well as day-to-day operations and strategic counsel on the company’s network, cable and syndicated television productions. She begins her new role immediately, reporting to Corii Berg, senior executive vice president for business affairs.

Tatevosian has spent the last 13 years of her nearly 20-year TV industry career at SPTS, spearheading negotiations for leading scripted and non-scripted projects from development through production, including The Blacklist, S.W.A.T, The Get Down, Justified, Rescue Me and Shark Tank, as well as term deals with writers, producers and directors.

Prior to joining Sony, Tatevosian worked in business affairs at DreamWorks Television overseeing all aspects of business strategy and negotiations on licensing, co-production and studio pod deals, as well as overseeing day-to-day negotiations on such shows such as Spin City, Freaks & Geeks, The Job and Taken. She began her career in business and legal affairs at Fox Family Channel.

Here is the internal email just sent out by Jeff Frost, Chris Parnell and Jason Clodfelter, who comprise the Office of the President:

Good morning,

Today we are announcing that Karen Tatevosian has been promoted to executive vice president, U.S. business affairs for Sony Pictures Television Studios (SPTS), effective immediately. Karen will report to Corii Berg, senior executive vice president for business affairs, and will oversee the studio’s U.S. business affairs, including negotiations with talent and partners across all platforms, as well as day-to-day operations and strategic counsel on the company’s network, cable and syndicated television productions.

Karen has nearly 20 years of television business affairs experience in the industry; the last 13 of which have been here. At SPTS she has driven negotiations for many of our leading scripted and non-scripted projects from development through production, including The Blacklist, S.W.A.T, The Get Down, Justified, Rescue Me and Shark Tank, as well as term deals with our premiere writers, producers and directors.

Prior to joining Sony, Karen was in business affairs at DreamWorks Television overseeing all aspects of business strategy and negotiations on licensing, co-production and studio pod deals, as well as overseeing the day-to-day negotiations on such shows such as Spin City, Freaks & Geeks, The Job and Taken.  Karen began her career in business and legal affairs at Fox Family Channel structuring and negotiating business deals and implementing production strategy on behalf of the studio and network for the launch of the network’s reality/alternative block.

Please join us in congratulating Karen.

Jeff, Chris, Jason