Veteran FX executives Gina Balian and Nick Grad are expanding their responsibilities at the Disney-owned cable network. Balian an
Veteran FX executives Gina Balian and Nick Grad are expanding their responsibilities at the Disney-owned cable network.
Balian and Grad have been promoted from president of original programming to president of FX Entertainment as they add oversight of casting, production and business affairs at both the cable network and its hub on Hulu as well as at its studio counterpart, FX Productions. The new duties come on top of their current oversight of development of current series, with both execs continuing to report to FX content and FX Productions chairman John Landgraf.
“Gina and Nick are two of the most talented, respected and trusted creative executives in the business, and their track record for identifying and developing acclaimed, award-winning hit shows is undeniable,” said Landgraf. “They have played an integral role in the success and growth of FX, building an outstanding team, and it gives me great comfort knowing they, with a combined 30 years of experience at FX, will continue to be anchors of creative stability, fearless risk taking and excellence for the FX brand moving forward.”
The news comes after former FX entertainment president Eric Schrier was promoted in September that saw him move from basic cable network FX to a newly created role as president of Disney Television Studios and business operations at Disney General Entertainment. In his new purview, the esteemed exec who had spent the past two decades under FX CEO John Landgraf will now oversee Disney studios including Karey Burke’s 20th Television, Marci Proietto’s 20th Television Animation and Jonnie Davis’ ABC Signature. All three execs will now report to Schrier, as will exec vp strategy and finance Trisha Husson.
Grad, who recently celebrated his 20th anniversary at FX, and Balian, fresh off her 10th year at the cabler, have together developed a series of hits including The Americans, the American Crime Story and American Horror Story franchises, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Nip/Tuck, Sons of Anarchy, Atlanta, Snowfall, Better Things and such recent successes as The Bear, Under the Banner of Heaven, What We Do in the Shadows and Welcome to Wrexham, among others. Upcoming series include Fleishman Is in Trouble, Kindred, Class of ’09, Justified: City Primeval, season five of Fargo and Shogun.
Grad originally joined FX in 2002 as vp development and was promoted to senior vp two years later. He earned exec vp stripes in 2005. In 2013, Grad was upped to president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. Before FX, he worked at Sony’s former Columbia TriStar unit from 1995-2002, where he rose to vp comedy development.
“The beauty of FX is the desire of everyone to aspire to the highest standard of quality, and that has not changed in the 20 years I’ve been here,” Grad said. “It starts at the top with John, and Gina is equally committed in her pursuit of excellence. We will continue to put our creative partners first and do everything we can to support their vision, which is a hallmark of the FX brand.”
Balian, for her part, joined FX in 2012 to create a new limited series division. She was promoted in 2016 to exec vp development at the cable network and its studio counterpart. Before coming to FX, she was a senior vp drama at. HBO, where she oversaw the development of Game of Thrones.
“FX is a special place. The care, dedication and passion of how all of my colleagues do their jobs is inspiring,” she said. “As for John and Nick, I couldn’t ask for two smarter, professional and kinder partners and I’m very excited about this opportunity. We’re only as good as the team around us and, fortunately for us, we have an incredible team.”
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