Nickelodeon Veterans Paula Kaplan And Sal Maniaci Depart Network

The Los Angeles Times is reporting in the following article from their official websites' Company Town, The Business Behind The Show entertainment news column that management changes continued at Nickelodeon on Thursday 16th January 2014 as two high-level executives announced that they were leaving the children's channel.

Paula Kaplan, who serves as Executive Vice President (EVP) of current TV series, told her team on Thursday that she would be leaving the network, her home for nearly 20 years, according to people familiar with the matter.

Kaplan previously was a West Coast general manager and head of talent and casting for many of Nickelodeon's businesses.

Additionally, LA Times is reporting in a separate article, also below, that Nickelodeon has announced that Sal Maniaci - who re-joined the Viacom Inc.-owned cable channel, his longtime home, nearly two years ago after a stint at sister outlet TV Land - will also be resigning.

Paula Kaplan long has been a creative force within the children's network, forming the company's Los Angeles talent department in 1996. Kaplan also helped build the "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards" into a marquee event. The KCAs has seen many special guests make special appearances at the annual awards ceremony over the years, including US First Lady Michelle Obama at Nickelodeon's 25th Annual Kids' Choice Awards in 2012 with daughters Malia and Sasha. The First Family got splattered with Nickelodeon's famous green slime intended for Justin Bieber.

Since his 2012 return to Nickelodeon, Sal Maniaci had been part of the New York-based group that developed original shows and coordinated live TV events, such as the "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards" and the "TeenNick HALO Awards". Maniaci had worked closely with Margie Cohn, who left Nickelodeon last summer in another management overhaul. Cohn quickly landed at DreamWorks Animation as that company's head of television. Cohn, Maniaci and Kaplan had been at Nickelodeon in the mid-1990s, and over the years helped develop such juggernaut hits as "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "iCarly".

From LATimes.com:

Management changes continue at Nickelodeon; Paula Kaplan leaving

SpongeBob SquarePants; Children's Nickelodeon, the cable TV home of "SpongeBob SquarePants," has lost several senior executives during the past two years. On Thursday, longtime West Coast executive Paula Kaplan told her staff she was stepping down. (Nickelodeon / July 2, 2009)

Management changes continue at Nickelodeon as another high-level executive announced that she was leaving the children's channel — her home for nearly 20 years.

Paula Kaplan, who serves as executive vice president of current TV series, told her team on Thursday that she would be leaving the network, according to people familiar with the matter.

Kaplan previously was a West Coast general manager and head of talent and casting for many of Nickelodeon's businesses.
She did not return a call left at her office Thursday afternoon.

Kaplan long has been a creative force within the children's network, forming the company's Los Angeles talent department in 1996. Kaplan also helped build the "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards" into a marquee event.

Even First Lady Michelle Obama attended the "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards" nearly two years ago with daughters Malia and Sasha. The First Family got splattered with green slime intended for Justin Bieber.

"Sliming" people with green goo typically is the highlight of the children's awards show.

Nickelodeon has been retooling its operations and mounting a comeback from a perilious ratings plunge nearly two years ago, which saw its ratings plummet nearly 30%.

The channel, owned by media company Viacom Inc., has been trying to develop a new generation of hits.

Ratings for the channel have improved in recent quarters, although the Disney Channel ended 2013 as the top children's network for a second year among viewers aged 2 to 11.

In August 2012, Nickelodeon Group president Cyma Zarghami undertook a major restructuring, entrusting power to a loyal lieutenant, Russell Hicks, who became the top creative officer.

During the last year, Hicks, who serves as president of Nickelodeon content, development and production, has become more deeply involved in West Coast operations. Hicks, who grew up in Los Angeles and Orange counties, has rearranged operations, promoting his own group of executives.

Hicks, who has worked at Nickelodeon for about 15 years, now spends most of his time at Nickelodeon's animation studio in Burbank and network offices in Santa Monica — rather than the New York headquarters.

The August 2012 shakeup forced out Nickelodeon's animation chief Brown Johnson, the executive who was most responsible for creating the network's cartoon sensation "Dora the Explorer."

Then, in August 2013, programming development chief Margie Cohn departed and soon accepted a post as head of television for DreamWorks Animation. Cohn had been with Nickelodeon since its earliest days, helping shepherd "SpongeBob SquarePants,""iCarly" and "Rugrats" onto the screen.

Also last year, Alison Dexter, the Los Angeles-based executive vice president of production, resigned.

Also from The Lost Angeles Times:

Nickelodeon shakeup continues; Paula Kaplan and Sal Maniaci out

The management shake-up at Nickelodeon continued late Thursday, with the departures of two senior executives, Paula Kaplan and Sal Maniaci.

Kaplan, who has served as executive vice president of current TV series, told her team Thursday that she would be leaving the children's network, according to people familiar with the matter.

A network spokesman confirmed Kaplan's pending exit but would not elaborate. Kaplan's departure was reported earlier Thursday.

Late Thursday, Nickelodeon said that Maniaci -- who re-joined the Viacom Inc.-owned cable channel, his longtime home, nearly two years ago after a stint at sister outlet TV Land -- also was resigning.

Maniaci could not be reached late Thursday.

Since his 2012 return, Maniaci had been part of the New York-based group that developed original shows and coordinated live TV events, such as the "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards," and the "TeenNick HALO Awards."

Maniaci had worked closely with Margie Cohn, who left Nickelodeon last summer in another management overhaul. Cohn quickly landed at DreamWorks Animation as that company's head of television.

Cohn, Maniaci and Kaplan had been at Nickelodeon in the mid-1990s, and over the years helped develop such juggernaut hits as "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "iCarly."

Nickelodeon has been retooling its operations after a steep ratings plunge nearly two years ago, which saw Nickelodeon's ratings fall nearly 30%.

The lucrative Viacom channel has been trying to develop a new generation of hits.

Ratings for the channel have improved in recent quarters, although the Disney Channel ended 2013 as the top children's network for a second year among viewers ages 2 to 11.

Nickelodeon Group President Cyma Zarghami has reshuffled the decks several times, most notably in the summer of 2012. The August 2012 shakeup forced out Nickelodeon's animation chief Brown Johnson, the executive who was most responsible for creating the network's cartoon sensation "Dora the Explorer."

Zarghami then entrusted power to a longtime lieutenant, Russell Hicks, who became the top creative officer.

During the last year, Hicks, who serves as president of Nickelodeon content, development and production, has become more deeply involved in programming and West Coast operations.

Hicks has cultivated his own team of executives.

Kaplan formed the network's Los Angeles talent department in 1996. She also helped grow the "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards" into a marquee event.

Even First Lady Michelle Obama attended the "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards" nearly two years ago with daughters Malia and Sasha. The first family got splattered with green slime intended for Justin Bieber.

"Sliming" people with green goo typically is the highlight of the children's awards show.

Also, from Deadline.com:

UPDATE: Nickelodeon’s EVP Paula Kaplan & SVP Sal Maniaci Exit

UPDATE: 4:10 PM: I’ve also learned that another Nickelodeon veteran, Sal Maniaci, is departing the company. He was based in New York and served as SVP of event and original programming, responsible for overseeing production of Nickelodeon’s franchise events, including the Kids’ Choice Awards, the TeenNick HALO Awards and Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play.

PREVIOUS: Another veteran Nickelodeon executive is leaving the company. EVP Paula Kaplan has informed her team today of her departure, a Nickelodeon spokesperson confirmed. Kaplan had been at the network for two decades, she launched and built its Los Angeles Talent Department and grew Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards into a major event. Her exit, first reported by LA Times, comes a year and a half after Russell Hicks was named President, Content Development and Production for the Nickelodeon Group when Kaplan’s title changed from Talent and West Coast General Manager, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, to EVP Current Series. Now three high level Nickelodeon executives who became Hicks reports have left: President content development Margie Cohn, EVP Nickelodeon Prods. Alison Dexter and Kaplan.

Tags: Nickelodeon, Paula Kaplan

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