Fox Broadcasting Restructures

Fox Broadcasting Co. has upped Peter Liguori to chairman, entertainment, and named Kevin Reilly president, entertainment, in a restructuring designed to add depth to the senior ranks of the network.

"The television industry has changed more in the last five years than in the past 20," said Peter Chernin, president/coo of News Corp. "We need to be structured in a way that puts us in the best position take advantage of the myriad new opportunities digital technology has afforded the broadcast television business. When Peter Liguori approached me with the idea of re-teaming with Kevin Reilly, I thought it was a bold move to redefine the structure of the network behind a pair of dynamic executives who have a proven track record of advancing the medium."

Liguori and Reilly were a highly successful pairing at News Corp.'s FX (2000-03), where Liguori was president/ceo and Reilly was president of entertainment. They developed some of television's most heralded programming, including THE SHIELD and NIP/TUCK, and took FX from a nascent basic cable network to one of the most successful and critically acclaimed networks on television.

Reilly will report to Liguori, who, in his new role as chairman of FOX, will expand his duties to developing new models for FOX broadcast content to best leverage the brands across all emerging platforms. Liguori, president of entertainment for FOX since March 2005, has presided over two seasons, during which the network finished first among the coveted adults 18-49 demographic, the entertainment division reached record profitability and the company set upfront advertising records. Before FX and FOX, Liguori headed consumer marketing at HBO and worked in advertising at Ogilvy & Mather and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Reilly had been president of entertainment for NBC (2004-07). He has developed and supervised some of the most successful and heralded programs in TV history, including -- most recently -- Heroes, last season's top-rated freshman series in both total viewers and adults 18-49. Reilly's recent hits also include Emmy Award-winning THE OFFICE, as well as MY NAME IS EARL and DEAL OR NO DEAL. During an earlier stint at NBC, he had a hand in developing some of the network's seminal programs, including the pilots of ER and HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET, plus he supervised the first season of LAW & ORDER.

Prior to his years at FX, Reilly was president of Brad Grey Television, where he shepherded several hits, including the pilot for the groundbreaking HBO series, THE SOPRANOS.

Fox Broadcasting Co. (FOX) is a unit of News Corp. FOX finished the 2006-2007 season as the No. 1 network for the third consecutive year among adult 18-49 viewers, while continuing to dominate all network competition in the more targeted adults 18-34 and teen demographics. FOX airs 15 hours of primetime programming per week, as well as late night entertainment programming, major sports and Sunday morning news.