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Ted Turner Stepping Down From Board of Time Warner

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 24, 2006 - 11:16am.
Dulles, Va. - Time Warner, the parent company of America Online, said on Friday that Ted Turner will be stepping down from the company's board of directors. Turner, who has often clashed with Time Warner management, gave no specific reason for stepping down. Turner saw the value of his large stock holdings in Time Warner drop sharply in the years following the company's merger with America Online. "It is after much deliberation that I have decided not to stand for reelection at the annual meeting," said Turner. "I have enjoyed working with Dick Parsons as well as the other board members and the management team."
tags: Time Warner | Ted Turner | Step Down | Board of Time Warner |

Presidents of Hollywood Entertainment, Game Crazy Step Down

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2005 - 10:36am.
Dothan, Ala. -- Movie Gallery, the Alabama-based video rental chain that recently acquired Hollywood Entertainment, the nation's second-largest chain behind Blockbuster, for $1.2 billion, announced on Tuesday that Hollywood president and CEO Bruce Giesbrecht, and Game Crazy president Randall Baumberger, have both stepped down. The company appointed former Hollywood senior vice president of store operations Lawrence Plotnick as chief operating officer of Hollywood Entertainment, who will oversee operations of Hollywood Video and Game Crazy stores. "I want to thank Bruce and Randy for their contributions in helping to build such a strong organization, with outstanding employees and powerful brands," said Movie Gallery CEO Joe Malugen. "They both have been instrumental in making Hollywood and Game Crazy leaders in their respective industries with more than 2,000 Hollywood Video superstores and more than 700 Game Crazy specialty retail outlets nationwide." The merged Movie Gallery now operates a total of more than 4,500 stores and is expected to generate $2.5 billion in annual revenues.
tags: Step Down | Presidents | Hollywood Entertainment | Game Crazy |

Michael Powell to Step Down as FCC Chairman

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 21, 2005 - 7:36am.
Washington -- Michael Powell, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the past four years, said on Friday that he will step down from his post in March. "Having completed a bold and aggressive agenda, it is time for me to pursue other opportunities and let someone else take the reins of the agency," said Powell, the son of outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell. The FCC chairman has been lauded for his hands-off approach to regulating new technologies, such as broadband, VoIP and Wi-Fi. "The use of cell phones, digital televisions, personal video recorders, and digital music players, is exploding. These devices are increasingly connected anytime, anywhere by a wide variety of broadband networks enabling a host of competitive services and new applications," said Powell. But Powell was also criticized for the Commission's controversial loosening of rules on media consolidation, decision to mandate an anti-piracy "broadcast flag" in new television technologies, and levying of record indecency fines against broadcasters -- over issues including partial nudity during a Super Bowl broadcast and the subject matter covered on Howard Stern's radio show. Powell was appointed to the FCC by President Clinton in 1997 and promoted to chairman by President Bush in 2000. The Washington Post reported that Kevin Martin, a Republican FCC member whose wife previously worked for Vice President Dick Cheney, is the likely successor.
tags: Step Down | Michael Powell | FCC Chairman |

TiVo Chief Executive Ramsay to Step Down

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 12, 2005 - 10:37am.
Alviso, Calif. -- TiVo, a provider of digital video recorder equipment and services, announced on Wednesday that co-founder, chairman and CEO Mike Ramsay will step down from his position as CEO. Ramsay will retain his title as chairman and remain CEO until a successor can be named, while the company has hired Howard Fischer Associates to aid in the search. "I believe it is a natural evolution of any company to have a transition of leadership as the company grows and matures," said Ramsay. "The time is right for me, personally and professionally, to bring in an outstanding chief executive officer to lead the company so that I can focus on future strategy." Alviso, Calif.-based TiVo claimed 2.3 million customers for its digital video recorder service as of October, and recently announced a new service that allows subscribers to port their recorded TV programs to a desktop PC or laptop for viewing while away from home.
tags: TiVo | Step Down | Chief Executive Ramsay |

Jack Valenti to Step Down As CEO of MPAA in Coming Months

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 23, 2004 - 4:40am.
Washington -- Ending months of speculation, 83-year-old Jack Valenti, the CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, announced he will retire in the coming months. Valenti is one of the most powerful lobbyists in D.C. on media and technology issues, and has battled against the illegal copying of movies for years. "This is the time for me to depart as CEO. I feel that in my gut," Valenti told reporters at a trade meeting. Valenti is a former aide to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.
tags: MPAA | CEO | Step Down | Jack Valenti |

AOL Ad Sales Head to Step Down After Just Six Months

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 9, 2004 - 3:51am.
Dulles, Va. -- Following just six months on the job, the head of America Online's ad sales unit is stepping down, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Executive Vice President Lisa Brown will step down for "health and personal reasons," she said. Through Brown was reportedly being investigated for more than $40,000 in questionable expense reports, a person close to Brown said that her departure was not related. The Journal reported that AOL is in discussions to replace Brown with Michael Kelly, currently an ad sales executive for Time Warner. The move marks the third time in the past year that AOL has shifted the management of its advertising sales group.
tags: AOL | Step Down | Ad Sales |

RIAA CEO Hilary Rosen to Step Down At End of 2003

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 23, 2003 - 5:19am.
Washington -- Hilary Rosen, chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the lobbying group for the major record labels, has announced her intention to resign from her positions at the end of 2003. Rosen served with the organization for 17 years and has headed it since 1998, spearheading the industry's reactions to Internet file-sharing and slumping CD sales. Rosen said she is stepping down to spend more time with family; she and partner Elizabeth Birch have four-year-old twins. "This has been the most exciting job I can imagine," said Rosen. "During my tenure here, the recording industry has undergone dramatic challenges and it is well positioned for future success." The RIAA said it will conduct an executive search for a replacement, adding that RIAA president Cary Sherman will retain his current role. http://www.riaa.org/PR_story.cfm?id=600
tags: RIAA | CEO | Step Down | Hilary Rosen |