Veteran television executive Kerry McCluggage, who was joined to the IDW Media Holdings, Inc. Board of Directors in September 2017, has been named as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. The former Paramount TV Chairman and Universal TV President will replace current CEO and founder Ted Adams, who is taking a brief sabbatical and will return to IDW in a new creative role.

McCluggage’s appointment signals the company’s focus on television where it has lately foudn success with Wynonna Earp which airs on SyFy and was recently renewed for a fourth season. The company has V-Wars in development at the same channel and Locke & Key is moving out of development hell and has landed at Netflix.

The company has had a rough few years. The publishing division declined close to a half million dollars in the fiscal second quarter ending April 30th, but operating losses improved $168,000 and now stand at $1.39 million from $1.56 million at the same time last year.

IDW Media Holdings had $8.7 million in sales for the quarter which is down 2% and a $2.2 million loss, around 23% worse than a year ago.

As both an industry executive and independent producer for over 40 years, McCluggage has also been an investor in media companies, including Allumination FilmWorks LLC. and Content Media Corporation. Since 2002, he has served as President of Craftsman Films, an independent production company developing motion picture and television product. Additionally, McCluggage is a founding shareholder of Old West Investment Management.

Prior to forming Craftsman Films, McCluggage was Chairman of the Paramount Television Group, a position he held for 10 years with responsibility for all aspects of the company’s television operations. During his time with Paramount, McCluggage shepherded many award winning and successful series, including the Emmy Award-winning Frasier and Cheers, and the phenomenally successful Star Trek franchise, as well as the venerable magazine series Entertainment Tonight and helped develop and launch the original plan for UPN (known as The United Paramount Network).

Before joining Paramount, McCluggage was with Universal, where he established the company as a significant supplier of series with such groundbreaking shows as Quantum Leap, Law & Order, Northern Exposure, Miami Vice, and Coach. he joined as a programing assistant in 1978 and would have oversight of all development and production for such series as Magnum, P.I., The Equalizer, Murder She Wrote, The A-Team, and ultimately rising to President of Universal Television.