TV Guide Network Chief Exits

SANTA MONICA: Ryan O’Hara is stepping down as president of TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com to take up a New York-based post that will be announced next week.

"We have a strong leadership team and a focused strategy to build TV Guide Network into a branded celebration of entertainment and fandom, so this is the right time for me to move on to another new entrepreneurial opportunity that has arisen," said O’Hara. "I enjoyed my eight years at TV Guide tremendously, and I believe the trajectory of the business has never been better."

His exit comes nine months after the channel was taken over by Lionsgate and One Equity Partners. The new owners recently added to the management team with Diane Robina as executive VP of development, acquisition and programming strategy. She also remains president of Lionsgate’s branded multiplatform horror/thriller network FEARnet with partners Sony and Comcast. 

On O’Hara’s departure, Lionsgate co-chairman and CEO Jon Feltheimer said: "Ryan and his management team have led TV Guide Network to a strong year of growth in both programming and distribution. He has been a key architect of the channel’s continued evolution into a fully distributed, full screen general entertainment network that will play an important role in the cable landscape of the future."

TV Guide Network’s board chairman, Allen Shapiro, added: "Ryan will be missed, but Jon Feltheimer and I have tremendous confidence in the team of talented and entrepreneurial executives who will continue to build on TVGN and TVGuide.com’s momentum."