Fox Family Channel will be shopping for a new head now that president
and CEO Rich Cronin has stepped down from his post. Awaiting the
announcement of Cronin's replacement, programming and marketing
decisions will go through exec VP and Fox Kids general manager
Maureen Smith. Before coming to Fox Family from Viacom, Cronin was
locked up in a breach of contract suit with his former employers.
Once clear of his Viacom commitment, Cronin took Fox Family's reins
right before the channel's relaunch in August of 1997. Despite
successfully developing the hit series HIGHER GROUND, Cronin has been
shackled by a contractual agreement with network owner evangelist Pat
Robertson to air the 90-minute 700 CLUB, which has a very narrow
viewer base. However, even with a US$500 million budget to produce
original series and specials, the TV veteran couldn't breathe any
enthusiasm into the low-rating kidscaster. While at Viacom, Cronin
made his mark developing Nick at Night's TV Land and solidifying
Nickelodeon as a top cable competitor.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
