Brian Frons

Frons earned a master’s degree from Syracuse University's S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1978.{{cite news |last1=Papo |first1=Katie |title=Disney executive says L.A. no vacation |url=https://dailyorange.com/2007/10/disney-executive-says-l-a-no-vacation/ |access-date=14 September 2021 |work=The Daily Orange |date=24 October 2007}}{{cite news |title=President, daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group speaks at Syracuse University Oct. 24 |url=https://news.syr.edu/blog/2007/10/10/president-daytime-disney-abc-television-group-speaks-at-syracuse-university-oct-24/ |access-date=14 September 2021 |work=SU News |date=October 10, 2007}}

Brian Frons first worked at CBS Daytime from 1978 to 1983.{{cite news| url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/12/abc-daytime-drama-brian-frons-out-at-abc.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Company Town | date=December 2, 2011}}{{cite news| url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/08/14/a-veteran-tv-soap-opera-executive-on-why-guiding-light-burned-out-after-72-years/ | work=The Wall Street Journal | title=A Veteran TV Soap Opera Executive on Why "Guiding Light" Burned Out After 72 Years | date=2009-08-14}} He left CBS in 1983 to join NBC Daytime, where he stayed during the rest of the 1980s as vice president.{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A61337-2004Aug12?language=printer | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=August 21, 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/26/arts/television-black-family-shares-spotlight-in-a-new-soap-opera.html?pagewanted=3 | work=The New York Times | title=TELEVISION; Black Family Shares Spotlight in a New Soap Opera | date=1989-03-26 | first=Mimi | last=Torchin}}

In 1986, he canceled Search for Tomorrow which was at the time the longest running soap opera in television, but also the lowest-rated program among the 14 daytime soap operas on the air that year.{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=1986-11-05 |title=NBC DROPS 35-YEAR-OLD SOAP OPERA |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/05/arts/nbc-drops-35-year-old-soap-opera.html |access-date=2023-07-17 |issn=0362-4331}}

Waggett (1997). "Soap Opera Nielsen Ratings". Soap Opera Encyclopedia. pp. 626-628. Frons gained media attention in 1989 when he made a guest appearance in an episode of Santa Barbara, playing the role of God in a dream of character Mason Capwell (Lane Davies).{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-12-ca-3119-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Heaven Can't Wait | date=1989-02-12}}

During his time at NBC, Frons also introduced Generations, the first soap opera to feature an African-American family from its inception.[http://articles.philly.com/1988-11-02/news/26246489_1_soap-brian-frons-diverse-families, The Philadelphia Inquirer]{{dead link|date=October 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} citing

{{BLP sources section|date=July 2023}}

Frons joined ABC Daytime in August 2002. In May 2006, Anne Sweeney, the head of Disney-ABC Television Group, named Frons the president of the newly created Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group.

In his capacity as president of ABC Daytime, Frons was responsible for the development, marketing, production and promotion of all ABC Daytime properties, which have included The View, Port Charles, All My Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital, The Chew, and The Revolution. In his new position, Frons took on the additional duties of overseeing SOAPnet and ABC Productions. During his tenure, soap operas General Hospital and All My Children switched to high-definition taping.{{Cite web|url=http://tvsourcemagazine.com/soaps/news/977-general-hospital-goes-high-definition.|title=General Hospital Goes High Definition|date=6 April 2009}}{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2010-01-04-daytimetv04_ST_N.htm | work=USA Today | first=Bill | last=Keveney | title=Daytime TV takes stock, retrenches in a changing world | date=January 4, 2010}}

Frons was also instrumental in the launch of the Soap Opera Digest Awards.

In June 2003, Frons announced the cancellation of the ABC soap opera Port Charles (a spinoff of General Hospital) after six years because of low ratings.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3LdIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wYEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3778,974377&dq=port+charles+cancelled+by+abc&hl=en The Vindicator], Google News Archive Search. Accessed July 5, 2023.

He was quoted as saying the decision to cancel the show "was an extremely difficult decision" and that the network was "pleased with the creative execution of the show, but the 30 minute format in this time period posed significant financial challenges".[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WfIaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NEgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6004,490334&dq=port+charles+general+hospital+spin+off&hl=en Daily News – Google News Archive Search]

On April 14, 2011, Frons announced the cancellation of ABC soap operas All My Children and One Life to Live. While he made the announcement in person to the All My Children cast and crew in Los Angeles, the New York-based One Life to Live was tuned in through a video link.{{cite web|last1=Maerz |first1=Melissa|first2=Lynette|last2=Rice|url=https://ew.com/article/2011/04/14/abc-cancels-all-my-children/|title=ABC cancels 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live,' replaces soaps with lifestyle shows|publisher=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=2011-10-12}} All My Children ended its run on the network on September 23, 2011, while One Life to Live concluded on January 13, 2012. As a result of the cancellations, Frons was the subject of widespread criticism. He was labeled as the most hated man among soap opera fans, with online petitions being made for his firing from ABC Daytime.{{cite web|last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |url=https://deadline.com/2011/04/abc-daytime-chief-on-why-amc-oltl-were-axed-general-hospital-katie-couric-122892/ |title=FRONS SPEAKS: ABC Daytime Chief Explains Why 'AMC' & 'OLTL' Were Axed; Says 'GH' Is "Safe For Time Being"|date=14 April 2011 |publisher=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=2011-10-12}}

In response to the decision to cancel All My Children and One Life to Live, Frons said:

:: "You can't cut costs enough to make up for those losses. There comes a point when you can no longer justify the expense. Soap operas are an expensive way to program a network and unless you have General Hospital or The Young and the Restless sized ratings, it's really not a business."{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2011-apr-15-la-fi-ct-soaps-20110415-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Meg | last=James | title=ABC ending soaps 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' | date=April 15, 2011}}

One Life to Live eventually surpassed on a consistent basis the ratings of General Hospital starting the week of April 25, 2011 in total number of viewers,{{cite news| url=http://www.soapoperanetwork.com/ratings/ratings-oltl-tied-for-2nd-in-households | work=Soap Opera Network | first=Xavier | last=Toups | title=Ratings| date=April 28, 2011}} and the week of October 24, 2011 in the 18-49 women key demographic. In both cases, One Life to Live remained, from then on, ABC's highest-rated soap opera for the rest of its run.{{cite news| url=http://www.soapoperanetwork.com/ratings| work=Soap Opera Network | first=Xavier | last=Toups | title=Ratings}}

In place of All My Children and One Life to Live, Frons green-lighted two new talk shows, The Chew and The Revolution, respectively. In expressing his rationale for the cancellations, he stated:

:: "I wanted to do shows that were unusual for daytime. What's happening now is people are looking for information to make their lives better, they're obsessed about what they eat and they’re obsessed with weight."{{cite web|last1=Maerz |first1=Melissa|first2=Lynette|last2=Rice |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/04/14/abc-brian-frons-all-my-children/|title=ABC daytime chief on canceling soaps: 'I never thought I'd be the guy to take two of the shows off' |publisher=Entertainment Weekly|date=April 14, 2011 |access-date=October 15, 2021}}

Actress Susan Lucci stated in her book All My Life that she was misled to believe that the rumors of the cancellation were untrue. According to Lucci, Frons told the cast and crew in December 2009 that in order to save All My Children, it was vital that the show relocate to Los Angeles from New York, with all players taking pay cuts. Many left friends and family and sold or rented their East Coast homes in a downward market, resulting in great economic loss.Lucci, Susan; with Morton, Laura. All My Life, A Memoir, New York: IT Books, HarperCollins Publishers, page 325, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-06-206185-0}} Lucci also mentioned that just before the announcement of the cancellations, Dominick Nuzzi, senior vice president of production for ABC Daytime, congratulated the cast, crew, and production staff of All My Children for doing so well financially, stating that the show's production costs were down 25 percent from the previous year and "things [were] going great."Lucci, Susan; with Morton, Laura. All My Life, A Memoir, New York: IT Books, HarperCollins Publishers, page 314, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-06-206185-0}} In addition to the statement from Nuzzi, the show was given a budget to support upcoming storylines, and Lorraine Broderick was given a new multi-year contract as head writer of All My Children.Lucci, Susan; with Morton, Laura. All My Life, A Memoir, New York: IT Books, HarperCollins Publishers, pps 316-318, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-06-206185-0}}

Lucci blamed both Frons and former head writer Chuck Pratt for the demise of All My Children, stating:

::"Brian Frons has what, for me, is that fatal combination of ignorance and arrogance."Lucci, Susan; with Morton, Laura. All My Life, A Memoir, New York: IT Books, HarperCollins Publishers, page 324, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-06-206185-0}}

On December 2, 2011, ABC Disney announced that Frons would be leaving the company effective January 2012.[https://deadline.com/2011/12/abc-daytime-president-brian-frons-exits-network-consolidates-daytime-syndie-development-in-new-division-200454/ ABC Daytime President Brian Frons Exits, Network Consolidates Daytime & Syndie Development In New Division], Deadline Magazine, December 2, 2011. This announcement came the day after Frons terminated General Hospital executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and demoted head writer Garin Wolf.

Frons was replaced by Vicki Dummer, who has been with ABC since 1996.{{cite news|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/bios/display_bios.aspx?bio_type=executives&bio_id=254|work=ABC Medianet| title=Biography of Vicki Dummer}}

The corporate structure that Frons was running has been dismantled with ABC Daytime going to newly created Times Square Studios headed by Dummer, while SOAPnet was transferred to ABC Family.{{cite news| url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/12/disneyabc-forms-new-daytime-programming-and-development-unit-times-square-studios/| work=ABC News | title=ABC Forms New Daytime Programming and Development Unit, Times Square Studios

| date=2011-12-02}}{{cite news| url=http://abc.soapsindepth.com/2012/03/update-on-soapnet.html| work=Soaps In Depth| title=ABC Family Is Taking Over SOAPnet... For Now!| date=2012-03-01| access-date=2012-10-14| archive-date=2012-06-20| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620161544/http://abc.soapsindepth.com/2012/03/update-on-soapnet.html| url-status=dead}}

• Senior vice president (London-based SBS Broadcasting, S.A.)
• President, Creative Affairs (New World Entertainment)
• Vice President, Creative Affairs, NBC Productions
• Vice President of NBC Entertainment
• Director, Daytime Programming, CBS Entertainment
• Creative Consultant of All My Children and One Life to Live
• Head Writer (with Frank Valentini) of One Life to Live (November 29, 2004 to December 10, 2004)
• Story Consultant of General Hospital
• Head Writer (with Julie Hanan Carruthers) of All My Children (mid-January 2008 to January 30, 2008)

Frons is an Adjunct Professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Frons is married to Jeanine Guarneri-Frons, a former director on NBC soap opera Santa Barbara, and they reside in Encino, California.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071228230154/http://abc.go.com/daytime/ ABC Daytime]
• [http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6425815.html Broadcasting & Cable 2007 Interview]
• [http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/dels/history/bfrons/bfrons.html Pepperdine University Interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110012040/http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/dels/history/bfrons/bfrons.html |date=2007-11-10 }}

{{All My Children}}

{{One Life to Live}}

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Category:ABC Daytime executives

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Category:One Life to Live