Former AOL head to run News Corp. digital

April 1, 2009

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Former American Online Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Miller addresses a gathering of subscribers in 2002 at the Lincoln Center in New York. Miller was named by News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch to oversee MySpace and other digital businesses at the media giant.

Jonathan Miller, a former head of Time Warner online unit AOL, was named by News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch on Wednesday to oversee MySpace and other digital businesses at the media giant.

Miller, 52, will serve as chairman and chief executive of the newly created Digital Media Group and the company's Chief Digital Officer, News Corp. said in a statement.

Miller, who served as chief executive of AOL from 2002 to 2006, will be based in New York and report to Murdoch, the New York-based News Corp. said.

"Mr. Miller will direct News Corp.?s stand-alone digital businesses, including MySpace, IGN Entertainment, Photobucket, as well as Jamba and the Hulu joint venture with NBC Universal," News Corp. said.

"He will also collaborate with operational heads and digital executives through all lines of business around the globe to develop and refine digital efforts," it added.

News Corp. chairman Murdoch said digital efforts would be central to the future development of News Corp., whose newspaper, television, movie and other interests span the globe.

"Our focus moving forward is twofold: to enable our digital businesses to flourish as individual entities and to bolster the digital strategies of our core media properties by treating them as central to, and not separate from, the enterprise," Murdoch said.

"With his strong background in media and entertainment, coupled with a deep understanding of the digital business, Jon Miller is -- hands down -- the best equipped executive to provide the vision, oversight and operational experience to truly transform our offerings."

Miller said in a statement that he was "fortunate to join the world's most dynamic media company at a time when digital opportunities are shaping our business in new and exciting ways.

"News Corporation has shown a unique ability to excel globally in all forms of media and I look forward to working with its leadership as we position the company for continued growth and innovation," he added.

News Corp. also announced that veteran News Corp. executive Peter Levinsohn had been named president of New Media and Digital Distribution for Fox Filmed Entertainment, the unit that controls its film and television content.

Levinsohn previously headed Fox Interactive Media, which ran MySpace and other online properties.

The shakeup of News Corp.'s digital operations comes one month after News Corp. president Peter Chernin, who had served as Murdoch's right-hand man for years, announced he would be stepping down in June.

News Corp. shares were trading 1.66 percent higher in New York at 6.73 dollars about one hour after the market opened.

(c) 2009 AFP