Romy Kraus
Jan 19, 20183 min
Sandra Dewey is president of Studio T and TBS & TNT Business Operations. Her role encompasses not only production and business affairs for the top-rated TNT and TBS cable networks, but also business affairs for Cartoon Network, truTV, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and several other brands within the Turner portfolio. In addition, Dewey oversees business affairs for Turner's new media and advertiser-sponsored initiatives. As head of Studio T, Turner's in-house studio for TBS & TNT, she manages the operations of the studio business, an increasingly important job as both networks produce more of their own content. Dewey is based in Los Angeles and reports to Kevin Reilly, president of TBS & TNT, and chief creative officer for Turner Entertainment.
In additional to her work forging the deals behind Turner's original content, Dewey is playing a key role in Turner's transition from a linear television company to an omni-platform business with numerous revenue streams. She is also focused on Turner's company-wide initiative to expand and improve the viewing, listening and interactive experience.
On the original programming side, Dewey has closed deals that have paved the way for TBS's ongoing brand evolution, including Samantha Bee and Jason Jones for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and The Detour; Steve & Nancy Carell and Rashida Jones for Angie Tribeca; Conan O'Brien and Greg Daniels for People of Earth; newcomers Justin Shipley & Jordan Shipley for Wrecked; and indie favorites Michael Showalter, Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers for the critically acclaimed Search Party. All six shows ranked among cable's top new comedies of the year and were renewed for new seasons.
Dewey recently oversaw deals for TNT's critically acclaimed drama series Animal Kingdom and Good Behavior, as well as the upcoming Will, Claws and The Alienist. Her work has also included supervising the deals for truTV hits like Billy on the Street, Impractical Jokers, The Carbonaro Effect and Adam Ruins Everything, as well as Cartoon Network's Peabody Award-winning Adventure Time and Emmy®-winning Over the Garden Wall, among many others. Among Dewey's many past achievements for Turner, she served as chief negotiator on the deal to bring Conan O'Brien to TBS.
In 2011, Dewey spearheaded the business model for TNT's first global series, Falling Skies, which went on to be a worldwide success. Over the past five years, the success of Turner's programming on a global scale has redirected the business to focus on the creation of high-profile content with international appeal, to be fully owned by Turner.
Prior to her current position, Dewey served as executive vice president, head of business affairs, for Turner Entertainment Networks and Cartoon Network Originals since. During that period, she was heavily involved with the growth and strategic evolution of the networks' original programming, as well as its expansion in the global market. Before joining the Time Warner family, Dewey was an associate at the law firm Greenberg Glusker, where she worked closely with Bert Fields.
In addition to her regular duties for Turner and her role as a busy mother of two, Dewey leads the Los Angeles division of Turner Women Today, a resource and mentoring group for Turner women in the workplace. In 2014, she was recognized by Working Mother Magazine as Turner's Working Mother of the Year. Dewey has also been a participant in the Betsy Magness Leadership Program, Time Warner Chairman's Leadership Program and Time Warner's Breakthrough Leadership Program.