Michael Camacho out at CAA
Exec's departure linked to recent OWN pact
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Insiders confirmed that Camacho's departure is linked to CAA client Oprah Winfrey's recent pact with Discovery Communications to launch OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.
Camacho was part of the CAA team (led by Kevin Huvane) that sealed the deal, which gave Winfrey and Discovery 50/50 ownership in OWN (which will replace Discovery Health next year).
But sources said Camacho also started campaigning to actually run OWN for Winfrey, and that may have rubbed several figures both at CAA and at Winfrey's Harpo shingle the wrong way.
What ultimately led to Camacho's departure hasn't been clarified; it's not unusual for CAA agents to make the transition into production exec gigs with clients (former CAA agent Paula Wagner, for example, partnered with CAA-repped Tom Cruise). But in this case, insiders said Camacho sought to make such a move without the tenpercentery's blessing.
CAA declined comment, while Camacho could not be reached for comment. Camacho's last day was Friday; CAA and the agent parted ways over the weekend.
Camacho joined CAA 15 years ago as a mailroom trainee. He later worked for then-CAA supremo Michael Ovitz and served as a TV department coordinator before becoming an agent.
Camacho's successful run as a packaging agent and alternative TV head includes repping "The Bachelor" mastermind Mike Fleiss, docu helmer R.J. Cutler (whose TV credits include "30 Days"), "Big Brother" exec producer Allison Grodner and Bertram Van Munster ("The Amazing Race").
