Margaret Loesch, founding president and CEO of Crown Media U.S., will be departing the company next month at the conclusion of her contract. On leaving her post at Crown, Loesch said I'm very proud of the many accomplishments made by the team that I've helped build. But, while the experience has been exciting, it has also been all-consuming personally and professionally. As I near the end of my contract, it seems like an ideal time to take a much-needed break and put some focus on my family, and then begin to pursue my other career goals.'' She will be replaced by Lana E. Corbi, currently Chief Operating Officer of Crown Media Holdings. Loesch, a multiple Emmy Award-winning producer and a Peabody Award winner, has had a long and illustrious career in television. She was president of the Jim Henson Television Group from February 1998 to November 1998 and it was there that Loesch helped develop the agreement in which Hallmark Entertainment and the Jim Henson Company partnered with what was then the Odyssey Channel. She joined The Jim Henson Television Group after serving as the founding president and CEO as well as the architect of Fox Kids Networks Worldwide, which included Fox Children's Network (FOX Kids) in the U.S., from which she resigned as Vice Chairman in November 1997. She also was instrumental in the development of Fox Kids Latin America, Fox Kids Australia and Fox Kids United Kingdom. She joined FOX from Marvel Productions Ltd. where she had been president and CEO since 1984. Prior to that she held executive positions at Hanna-Barbera Productions and positions in programming and production at NBC and ABC in Los Angeles, where she began her television career in 1971.
