Robert Pietranton, a beloved and respected publicity and communications exec at Warner Bros. TV for the past 20 years, has died. He was 56.

In his 20 years at WBTV, the publicity lead guided the success of "Abbott Elementary," "The West Wing," "The Pitt" and hundreds more.

The submissions meet a Nov. 20 deadline for a first round of bids set by the board of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent of HBO, CNN and the Warner Bros. movie and TV studios

WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav hosted a starry dinner at his Beverly Hills home, hours before he flew to New York to field early bids for the company.

Robert Pietranton, a longtime public relations executive at Warner Bros. Television, has died. Pietranton died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 56.

Netflix, Paramount and Comcast submitted bids to acquire the Hollywood colossus, which owns the Warner Bros. movie studio, HBO, and cable networks like CNN and TNT, four people with knowledge of the proposals said. The outcome of the sale could alter the trajectory of the entertainment business.

The first round of non-binding bids for all or part of the media giant were due Thursday, with a final decision expected to be made around Christmas

The stock has risen to approximately $24 per share, marking an incredible 122% increase year-to-date, fueled by excitement regarding streaming