Barry Wallach Resigns As Head of NBCUniversal Syndication

After nearly eight years as head of NBC Universal’s active TV syndication arm,  Barry Wallach on Wednesday notified his staff that he has resigned as president of NBC Universal Domestic Television.

Wallach leaves after successfully launching two new talk shows in the past year, Steve Harvey (produced by Endemol USA) and Trisha Goddard. NBC also has a bloc of conflict talkers that draw ratings year after year, including Jerry Springer, Maury and Steve Wilcos. It also  handles Access Hollywood and off network shows including Law & Order, among others.

STORY: ‘Steve Harvey’ Syndicated Talk Show Renewed for Second Season

In a note to his staff, Wallach said he had no immediate plans but wanted to spend some “quality time with my family.” While that might seem like an excuse in other cases, Wallach has had some significant issues with the health of his son which may well be a factor.

Ted Harbert, chairman, NBC Broadcasting, expressed his regret at losing Wallach: ““Barry has led our syndication business with great distinction. He has been a valued partner and colleague and I will deeply miss his wise counsel. We thank him for all that he has done for NBCUniversal and wish him nothing but continued success in the future.”

In May 2004, Wallach replaced Ed Wilson as head of the NBC syndication division. He had previously been executive vp, NBC Enterprises, where he oversaw domestic syndication sales, marketing, home video, licensing, co-production alliances and more.

Before NBC, Wallach was executive vp, domestic syndication for CBS/Eyemark Entertainment, where he was involved with the sale of such shows as Everybody Loves Raymond and Martha Stewart.

Here is the complete text of Wallach’s statement to his staff:

After an incredible run at NBCUniversal, I want to share some news.  I have been thinking for some time about the possibility of change and want you all to know that I have decided to leave the company in the coming weeks.

I am finally going to take a deep breath, stop traveling so much and spend some very important time with my family. I do intend on doing many things down the road but have no immediate plans.

The timing is perfect. I leave our business in terrific shape, coming off our most successful syndication season to date in both ratings and profitability. The momentum is on our side, and we are well positioned to achieve even bigger and better things in 2013 and beyond. I wouldn’t feel comfortable making this decision otherwise.

I am incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished together. This season’s successful launch of two more first run strips in Steve Harvey along with Trisha; Maury, Jerry and Wilkos keep getting better with age; Access Hollywood and Access Live continue to grow and prosper, and our shows are positioned, not only for now, but also through 2016. 

In offnet, we have maximized our two sitcoms, The Office and 30 Rock terrifically, and have uniquely marketed the three Law & Order series, along with House and Monk far more successfully than we could have imagined when we began that journey five years ago.  

When added all together, our group has accomplished so much, and it’s because of all of your hard work. From sales, to research, to marketing, PR, legal, biz affairs, the team in Canada, and all the programming and production folks in NY, LA, Stamford and Chicago, my thanks to you all.

I will genuinely miss my day-to-day interaction with what I consider to be the best team in the business. Ted and I have been discussing this for a while now and have already begun the transition process. We will continue to do that over the coming weeks. 

My heartfelt thanks to you all for your support and friendship over the years.  I am incredibly grateful and lucky.

All the best,

Barry