In stories about the making of television shows, almost invariably the "network executive" is often painted as the villain. Interestingly, wowever, Mark Pedowitz -- the outgoing president of The CW -- oversaw an expansive era where he championed the audience, diversity and the quality of the network's shows. Given these notable qualities, Pedowitz saved The CW from being sold off for parts a decade ago.
Historically, The CW was created in 2006 as a way of saving struggling networks UPN and The WB. This union also meant both CBS and Warner Bros. co-owned the new network, which meant its president would have to purchase and air the respective owners' shows without making a profit. Pedowtiz -- formerly of ABC -- originally took over in 2011, and he leaves as the network's longest-tenured CEO. An 11-year run of not making a profit may seem like a failure, but it really isn't. Pedowitz not only prevented the network from hemorrhaging money, but he also repurposed The CW into a year-round original content network and streaming pioneer. He attracted talent and loved working with producers, actors and franchises he knew. More than the bottom line, he seemed like the type of executive who understood a changing media landscape and how to prioritize the audience over profits.
Mark Pedowitz Understood The CW's Primary Audience
Thanks to successful series like Gossip Girl, Smallville and Supernatural, The CW's audience originally comprised of young people, with most of them being pre-teen and teenage girls. From the Arrowverse to football drama All American, Pedowitz chose series with settings and characters that appealed to viewers of any age and gender, while casting these series with attractive young actors that typified a classic CW joint. In fact, when The Flash first crossed over with Supergirl -- then on CBS proper -- Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) made a reference to this when she referred to Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and the regular Supergirl cast as a group that looked "like the attractive, yet non-threatening, racially diverse cast of a CW show."
Even if kids and women were the network's target audience, the biggest fan might have been Pedowitz himself. This is backed by Arrowverse mastermind Greg Berlanti when told The Hollywood Reporter, "There wasn’t a plot point in a season about a tertiary character he couldn’t tell you about. He understood the shows from a creative standpoint; he considered himself an audience of the network first and would approach things in that way." Even underperforming series would often get at least one more renewal for a final season so that storytellers and fans alike could have the closure they needed. Prior to Nexstar acquiring The CW, Pedowitz was known for renewing network's entire slate of shows and adding new ones.
Additionally, coming from a giant network broadcasting company like ABC, Pedowitz knew the TV business was undergoing a massive change. Perhaps his greatest contribution to the network was The CW app, and later, CW Seed. Supported by ads, The CW app was free, and the latest episodes of the network's original shows streamed a day after their initial broadcast. Pedowitz also oversaw a massive Netflix deal worth a reported $1 billion, with the stipulation that the shows debut on the service after the finale rather than right before the next season premiere. Pedowitz knew easy access to streaming helped CW shows find their viewers.
Pedowitz's Resignation Indicates The CW May Not Change for the Better
As The CW's CEO, Pedowitz seemed to approach his strategy with the idea that every CW series had fans out there, and that the shows just had to find them. As such, he took risks with shows like Arrow, and other DCTV shows that later made up the Arrowverse. At first, some fans expected the Arrowverse to be a discounted DC Extended Universe, essentially doing what the films were already doing, but more cheaply and with lower quality. Instead, the Arrowverse became the most successful iteration of a DC shared universe in live-action, delivering definitive versions of DC Comics characters for a whole generation.
Even though there were times when the Arrowverse and other CW shows got messy and violent, none of them were tonally cynical. Almost every show on the network -- including Riverdale in its own way -- offered viewers the kind of morality melodrama that comics, cartoons, and other such "low-level art" are known to deliver. The shows entertained viewers, gave them some version of a "be kind" message, and wrapped up their storylines in the finale. With Pedowitz's resignation, however, it's clear that Nexstar wants to go in a different direction.
While every producer and actor has had personal face time with their old network president, Pedowitz's replacement, Dennis Miller, appears to be less interested in creativity and more profit-driven. His career has taken him from investments at Constellation Ventures to executive offices at TV production studios like Sony Pictures Entertainmment and Lions Gate Entertainment. His most recent venture was a reality TV and documentary production company, suggesting where The CW is heading in terms of new shows. Still, even if The CW is unrecognizable in a few years, the legacy it had under Mark Pedowitz is one that will last in the hearts of the kids who grew up with it.