Additions Made to MySpace Management

LOS ANGELES: After tapping former Facebook executive Owen Van Natta as the CEO of MySpace on Friday, News Corporation has made two further appointments at the company, including naming ex-Sling Media and MTV executive Jason Hirschhorn as chief product officer.

Hirschhorn was most recently the president of Sling Media’s Entertainment Group, which created consumer-driven applications and services for the Slingbox device. Prior to that he was the chief digital officer at MTV Networks.

Michael Jones has been named COO at MySpace. Over the course of his career he has founded and operated several online businesses, including Userplane, a leading provider of tools for online communities that was sold to AOL in 2006. At AOL, Jones became senior VP, focusing on social media monetization. Most recently, he was the founder and CEO of Tsavo Media, an online content and search network developing next-generation publishing platforms and technology services.

Both executives will be based in Los Angeles and will report to Van Natta, who was tapped to replace Chris DeWolfe in the top spot last week. “We were attracted to Michael’s unique background in building and operating successful businesses that fall directly in our sweet spot, and I look forward to leveraging his skill set as we further refine and shape the MySpace vision,” said Van Natta. “Jason’s reputation for creating compelling consumer experiences that leverage the intersection of technology, design and media is unmatched and we’re excited to have him join us.”