Nellie Andreeva

Mike_DarnellFox’s reality guru Mike Darnell is closing in on a 20-year anniversary at the network. Darnell has inked a new three-year contract to continue as president of alternative programming. That will bring his tenure at Fox to a whooping 19 years. (He joined Fox in 1994). Darnell, who is now shepherding American Idol‘s transition to a post-Simon Cowell era, appears to have renewed his deal quietly several weeks ago, and the extension is keeping things status quo for the reality master. At his previous renegotiation with Fox in 2007, Darnell was upped to president, becoming the the first alternative department head to hold a president title. He was also formally given creative control over Fox’s unscripted development and authority to greenlight pilots, presentations and specials. At the time, he remained at Fox after fielding  offers from seven suitors, including NBC, Endemol USnd RDF USA, to join them as a producer.

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