TV Guide CEO quits to be Murdoch's ''creative guru''
By Steve James
NEW YORK (Reuters) - TV Guide Inc. (Nasdaq:TVGIA - news) Chairwoman Anthea Disney resigned Thursday after less than four months at the magazine publisher she transformed into a global multimedia company, returning as a ''creative guru'' to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., part owner of TV Guide.
TV Guide said President Joe Kiener will replace Disney, a veteran journalist and publishing executive, as chairman and chief executive. Peter Boylan III becomes president and chief operating officer.
''I leave TV Guide with the satisfaction of knowing we have accomplished our primary mission of integrating two proud companies,'' Disney said, referring to TV Guide Inc.'s formation in March when TV Guide and United Video combined operations.
Of her return to News Corp. in the new post of executive vice president for content, she said: ''I'm excited to be returning to a creative role in a company whose mission and focus has always been on creating and distributing innovative and distinct programming.''
News Corp., which controls TV Guide along with Liberty Media Corp., had retained Disney as chair and CEO of its News America Publishing Group Inc. in March after naming her to head TV Guide, which Murdoch had merged with another of acquisition, the United Video Satellite Group.
Disney's replacement at the helm of TV Guide, German-born Kiener, worked alongside her at News Corp.'s HarperCollins book publishing unit. He also has previous experience in the music industry with Bertelsmann Music Group, Chrysalis Music Group and EMI Music.
''I have walked on both sides, I'm a strong combination of the creative and the business. I run companies that are driven by creativity and technology,'' he told Reuters.
Kiener said Disney's departure would have no effect on TV Guide's current plans, including an aggressive push into digital interactive TV systems in the United States and Europe. In addition to the well-known pocket-sized TV Guide listings magazine, it also hopes to launch a full-size entertainment magazine later this year called TV Guide Ultimate Cable.
''TV Guide is a traditional book for mainstream America - very family-oriented,'' he said. ''The new one will be more Hollywood oriented.''
News Corp. named Disney in March to oversee TV Guide Inc.'s merger with United Video Satellite Group, a former unit of Tele-Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:TCOMP - news) that developed and distributed products including the TV Guide Channel, Sneak Prevue and WGN to more than 100 million cable and satellite homes in the United States.
The combined company operates three primary business units: TV Guide Entertainment Group, TV Guide Magazine Group, and United Video Group.
Her new role at News Corp., which owns television stations, newspapers, the Fox TV network and 20th Century Fox movie studio as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, will be as ''a kind of creative czar or guru.'' a spokesman for Murdoch's media empire explained.
''She will come up with ideas for all aspects of the company, print, online, news and magazines or TV,'' the spokesman told Reuters. He said she would not oversee creative content for all News Corp. operations, but would make suggestions for specific projects.
Disney joined News Corp. in 1990 and in 1997 was named head of News America Publishing Group, which includes HarperCollins Publishers where she was previously CEO. She has also been editor-in-chief of TV Guide, creator of News Corp.'s online development and executive producer of Fox-TV's ''A Current Affair.''
Before joining News Corp., Disney was Deputy Managing Editor of The New York Daily News and was a long-time correspondent in the United States for Britain's Daily Mail.
Reuters/Variety
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