Sullivan to Leave UPN’s No. 2 Spot

A week after UPN named Dean Valentine as its chief executive, the network’s second-in-command, Mike Sullivan, said he would not renew his contract as president of entertainment.

Sullivan, who joined the network in October 1994, just months before its launch, had told his bosses this summer of his plans to resign.

Sources said Valentine is talking with Tom Nunan, senior vice president of NBC Studios and a former development executive at Fox Broadcasting Co. At NBC, he has been involved in developing programs for this fall, including “The Tony Danza Show,” “Union Square” and NBC’s Saturday night thrillers.

Sullivan plans to return to independent production and form a film company. He will remain involved in TV production and leaves with a commitment to produce a series for UPN. Previously, he was president of Michael Sullivan Productions, which had projects at both Viacom and Warner Bros. He developed the comedy “Growing Pains.”