Warner Bros. TV Names Roth as New President

Peter Roth, ousted in November as entertainment chief of the Fox television network, will become president of Warner Bros. Television, overseeing all prime-time programs generated by the Time Warner unit.

Roth will join the studio in March, replacing Tony Jonas, who has headed the division since 1995. The change is ill-timed since studios are in the midst of developing new programs for the next season.

Warner Bros. has been the most prolific supplier of prime-time series for many years and is responsible for the two top-rated programs on television, “ER” and “Friends.” Still, sources say studio officials have been disappointed by a shortage of new hits in recent seasons.

In addition, the division has feuded with the WB network, a sister enterprise half-owned by Time Warner. Sources say WB executives have pushed for new management at the production arm, maintaining that a change is necessary to bolster cooperation between the units.

Warner Bros. declined to comment, but sources say Jonas has been offered a production deal with the studio.