MTV Trims Trio From Development Team in Latest Consolidation (Exclusive)

Hours after announcing that VH1’s Lily Neumeyer would add MTV to her purview as head of development, the Viacom-owned cable network is further consolidating its staff.

Following development head/MTV2 executive vp Eli Lehrer’s decision to leave the company, MTV has laid off three key members of his staff. Senior vp series development of West Coast reality programming Colin Nash, senior director MTV series development Laurel Stier and Lehrer’s assistant/junior development exec have all been let go.

The decision, sources say, comes as MTV is further consolidating its development team under Neumeyer, who was promoted early Tuesday to head development at both MTV and VH1, reporting to Nina L. Diaz.

MTV declined comment.

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MTV Development Head Eli Lehrer Exits, Will Be Replaced by VH1's Lily Neumeyer

The decision to elevate Neumeyer marked the latest consolidation efforts for MTV and VH1 under network president Chris McCarthy. Both Viacom-owned networks will now share one unscripted and scripted development teams. Diaz was promoted last year to oversee unscripted, while VH1’s Maggie Malina is expected to be promoted to add scripted to her oversight following Mina Lefevre’s exit.

Nash joined MTV in 2010 as vp series development. He worked on series including Punk’d and The Real World, among others. Stier started at VH1 in 2007 as an executive assistant before rising to director of production and development at both MTV and VH1. The trio reported to Lehrer.

Lehrer’s role as MTV2 exec vp will not be filled; instead, Diaz and Neumeyer will absorb those responsibilities as well. Sources note that MTV2 will not be folded at this time, though its current lack of leadership certainly signals that it is not the priority it once was under Lehrer.