OWN Chief Exits

LOS ANGELES: The five-month-old OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is replacing its CEO, with Discovery Communications COO Peter Liguori tapped as interim chief in place of the outgoing Christina Norman.

The channel, which launched January 1, has struggled to up its ratings. In replacing its CEO, the company said it was transitioning from launch phase "to a more long-term focus on business and creative strategy, development and execution."

Liguori will maintain his Discovery Communications duties while also overseeing OWN as it builds its programming slate and gears up for the launch of Rosie O’Donnell’s Rosie this year and Oprah’s Next Chapter in 2012.

Winfrey in a statement said, "With The Oprah Winfrey Show only a few weeks away, I will soon be able to devote my full energies to OWN. This is a natural point of transition, and I am confident that Peter, as an integral part of the launch of OWN, will be a terrific partner for me going forward. He is one of the smartest, most creative executives in media, and I look forward to his leadership as we build our development slate and work toward the launch of Oprah’s Next Chapter. Over the remainder of the year, Peter and I will work together to recruit a permanent CEO for OWN’s next phase of growth."

Discovery’s president and CEO, David Zaslav, noted, "“Peter is Discovery’s creative leader, and highly qualified to assume the leadership at OWN for the next phase of growth. Christina did a great job launching OWN with long-term support from both advertising and affiliate partners. Peter will now ensure that OWN reaches its full creative potential with great programming that delivers on Oprah’s vision, mission and brand."

Norman added, "Joining OWN was a great opportunity, and launching it successfully and drawing more than 67 million viewers is one of my proudest achievements. My thanks to Oprah and David for entrusting me with this brand and giving me the opportunity to launch OWN. As I move on to my next challenge, I am confident the strong foundation we have built will position the network to achieve great things."