New Partnership to Create Content for Broadcast, Cable and Streaming

CBS Studios and the NAACP announced today that highly respected industry veteran Sheila Ducksworth will be president of the new CBS/NAACP production partnership. In her new role, Ms. Ducksworth will supervise development and production of scripted, unscripted and documentary content for linear television networks and streaming platforms. She will assume her new role on Nov. 9.

“Sheila is an extraordinary creative executive with an incredible eye for great content,” said George Cheeks, President and CEO of the CBS Entertainment Group. “We are excited to draw upon her leadership and experience to establish a production venture that is committed to telling compelling, inclusive stories, while expanding the range of creative voices that bring these stories to the screen.”

“We are delighted to welcome industry-veteran Sheila Ducksworth to the NAACP family,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “Together, we have the opportunity to create and distribute truly groundbreaking content that speaks to the Black experience.”

“I am proud to join the CBS family and to represent an organization as rich in history as the NAACP. And I am thrilled to be working with executives of the caliber of George Cheeks, David Stapf and Derrick Johnson to bring exciting and diverse content to the screen,” said Sheila Ducksworth. “My career has always focused on telling captivating and compelling stories while increasing representation in front of and behind the camera, and this new venture is an opportunity to continue that mission in a dynamic way.”

Ms. Ducksworth most recently served as head of scripted television and production for Will Packer Media, where she developed and managed projects produced for broadcast, cable and streaming services. There, Ms. Ducksworth oversaw development and production of the “Night School” pilot for NBC, which is currently awaiting a series pickup. She also served as executive producer on the upcoming Wendy Williams biopic for Lifetime as well as Will Packer Media’s OWN series “Ambitions.”

Prior to joining Packer, Ms. Ducksworth headed her own production entity, Ducksworth Productions, and oversaw television for Susanne Daniels’ First Move Television and Tracey Edmonds’ Edmonds Entertainment. She notably produced the 2013 Showtime documentary “Why We Laugh: Funny Women” with comedy legend and executive producer Joan Rivers. The film featured Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Tomlin and a host of female comedians, actors and writers. Ms. Ducksworth also produced the 2015 Lifetime movie “With This Ring,” which earned three NAACP Image Awards nominations. Additionally, she served as a producer on the landmark Showtime drama series “Soul Food” for its five-season run, which garnered seven NAACP wins including three consecutive wins for Best Drama. Ms. Ducksworth began her entertainment career at Big Ticket Television in Los Angeles. She is a native New Yorker and graduate of Yale University.

The CBS/NAACP partnership includes a commitment to develop content for the CBS Television Network, as well as the ability to sell programming to third-party platforms across the media landscape. The partnership will focus on producing premium content that expands the number of diverse voices contributing to an ever-evolving society, by telling inclusive stories that increase the visibility and impact of Black artists in a growing media landscape.

About CBS Studios:

CBS Studios is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of programming with more than 70 series currently in production across broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other emerging platforms. The Studio’s expansive portfolio spans a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted programming, genre-defining franchises including the ever-growing “Star Trek” universe, award-winning late night and daytime talk shows, and an extensive library of iconic intellectual property.

About the NAACP:

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and shares our commitment to equal rights.

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