MTV Veteran Joins OWN

LOS ANGELES: Christina Norman, the former president of MTV, has been named CEO of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, effective February 17.

Norman will be based in the Los Angeles headquarters of OWN, a joint venture between Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications that is slated to launch in 70 million homes, in place of Discovery Health Channel, late this year or early next. Reporting directly to the OWN Board of Directors, Norman will oversee all business and creative areas of OWN, which aims to entertain, empower, connect, and inspire people. Norman is a 17-year MTV Networks veteran, with posts that included running MTV and VH1.

"I’ve always had the utmost admiration and respect for Christina’s innovative strategies and management style," said Oprah Winfrey, the chairman of OWN. "She is a proven leader. Her shared values, passion, and enthusiasm make her a natural fit for OWN’s emerging platforms. We’re thrilled to have her."

"Christina is a strong leader with proven operational skills and a record of creating contemporary and valuable media brands," added David Zaslav, the president and CEO of Discovery Communications. "She is a great fit for OWN, and will bring longstanding industry experience to launching the brand across television and digital platforms, and giving consumers a dedicated environment to live their best life."

Norman said of her new role: "To be building a new channel inspired by Oprah Winfrey and backed by Discovery Communications is a challenge I welcome, and I am thrilled to bring their vision for OWN to life."