A former CBS executive vice president of daytime programs is joining the premier producer of daytime educational and informational (E&I) programming, Litton Entertainment, as it broadens its reach and diversifies its program portfolio and platforms.
Angelica Rosas McDaniel has been named executive vice president, strategy, for Litton Entertainment. She will be involved in all aspects of the company's operations from original productions to syndication and digital strategy and will work with content executives at Litton parent Hearst Television on strategic initiatives.
The appointment, effective September 1, was announced today by Dave Morgan, Litton Entertainment president and CEO.
"I've known Angelica for eight years and there could not be a more opportune time for her to join Litton," Morgan said. "She's distinguished herself as not only an innovator but as a visionary in championing programming that empowers women, promotes racial diversity and resonates with parents and educators. She's the ideal executive to help us execute on our aggressive plans to grow in a dynamically evolving video marketplace."
"Litton Entertainment has a well-deserved reputation for outstanding, high-quality programming," McDaniel said. "I admire their dedication to creating compelling, prosocial content and I'm excited to be joining the talented team. The company's strong relationships and credibility with the leading broadcast networks and other major linear and digital distributors are a direct result of its commitment to excellence. This should position us well as we work to bring Litton's trademark success to even more audiences across additional platforms."
In her most recent CBS position, McDaniel oversaw the network's daytime lineup, television's perennial ratings leader in the time block. Among other accomplishments there she launched The Talk, CBS's first daytime talk show which soon became a financial mainstay of the network and which was the first program in its genre to win a Daytime Emmy, The People's Choice Award and an NAACP Image Award, all in the same year. She also oversaw the 2013-2014 season rebranding of CBS's Saturday morning programming block, now named "CBS Dream Team… It's Epic!" and featuring award-winning Litton programs including Lucky Dog, Innovation Nation and the 2020 Daytime Emmy-nominated Mission Unstoppable, among others.
McDaniel began her career in radio at age 15, producing and hosting a daily afternoon show for children in 32 markets. She later moved to XM Radio as an executive producer and director. She brought her strong talk-media experience to television at Telepictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, where she rose to become creative director of new media for all studio shows, a lineup that included the likes of Extra, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Tyra Banks Show. She moved in 2010 to CBS, where she was quickly promoted, ultimately becoming executive vice president of daytime programs, overseeing 11 shows and more than 1,200 original episodes annually. In addition to The Talk, she was instrumental in the overall revitalization of CBS's daytime lineup, which enjoyed multi-year ratings increases, growing profitability, and more than 230 awards including 116 Daytime Emmys.
McDaniel herself has won seven Imagen Awards for her creative achievements as a Latina in the entertainment industry, and has been named one of the "35 Women Under 35 Running Hollywood" in Glamour magazine and one of the industry's fastest-rising stars in The Hollywood Reporter's Next Gen. She has served as a member of Women in Film, as an executive member of the Hollywood Radio & Television Society, as a governor of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and as a member of the CBS Diversity Council.
Litton recently has further expanded its Emmy-winning content to additional platforms. Last month Litton and CuriosityStream announced an international distribution partnership for Mission Unstoppable, Litton's popular series, produced in partnership with Lyda Hill Philanthropies' IF/THEN Initiative, featuring women role models in science, technology, engineering & math (STEM). In April 2020 Litton announced the launch of The Daily Splash, an online hub designed to give kids and families free access to hundreds of half-hours of Litton programs that can be enjoyed by the entire household.
About Litton Entertainment
Litton Entertainment, a division of Hearst Television, is the preeminent independent producer and distributor in the U.S. television industry, creating and distributing quality programming for over 20 years with a specialty in educational and informational ("E/I") programming. Litton talent and crews can often be found traveling the globe producing Emmy winning, content distributed worldwide. Litton's "Weekend Adventure," produced by Litton Studios, was the first program block of its kind and airs Saturdays on ABC stations nationwide. Litton Entertainment provides CBS Network with six original programs for Saturday mornings called CBS Dream Team; The CW Network with One Magnificent Morning, a three-hour destination featuring E/I programming; NBC stations with six original E/I series under the iconic brand The More You Know; and Telemundo with the three-hour Mi Telemundo block of programming. Litton's syndication and news division distributes a diverse slate of programs including the E/I block Go Time! and Consumer Reports TV. For more information, visit http://www.litton.tv. Litton is majority-owned by Hearst: http://www.hearst.com/
