We just got a press release from Fox Interactive which says that Peter Levinsohn is the new president of Fox Interactive. FIM insiders tell us that Levinsohn has often described the current changes in the media landscape as a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” Looks like he is willing to grab the brass ring.
Our sources say that Ross Levinsohn is planning to start a new kind of media operation, and there is considerable interest (and funding) for whatever his plans might be. We are also hearing from fairly reliable sources that Levinsohn plans to raise this money and buy-and-aggregate an online media property of high traffic sites.
Ross has done an incredible job over the past couple of years launching News Corp.’s Internet division from scratch and building one of the most innovative destinations on the web. His strategic vision helped us to establish a strong Internet presence in a very short time and we are enormously grateful for his many contributions. I know Ross will be successful in whatever he chooses to do next and we hope there is an opportunity for us to participate.
Ross is the second high profile executive to leave Fox Interactive. Mark Jung, who was chief operating office at Fox Interactive left the company recently for parts unknown.
In light of the recent ouster of Jon Miller at AOL, it seems to me that the old media companies are putting old media guys in charge of their new media empires, a move as risky as skating on a lake. You just don’t know where the ice is thin!
12 comments so far
5:54 PM PT
this is incorrect. Peter was appointed to President of another Fox unit.
6:07 PM PT
Well I’ll be damned, it is true.
11:50 PM PT
wow, that’s big news.
hard to think of a bigger roost for him to rule, unless it’s Yahoo or Microsoft; but those seem unlikely.
IAC 2.0? something with Facebook? ESPN.com?
none of those seem big enough either tho.
damn… Miller & Calacanis, Levinsohn, who’s next?!?
(btw, hands down, Ross is the sharpest dressed Internet Media mogul around)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/500hats/293101673/
6:17 AM PT
Opening Bell: 11.17.06…
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7:11 AM PT
Levinsohn Replaces Levinsohn at Fox Interactive…
Ross Levinsohn, President of Fox Interactive Media since it was formed last year when News Corp. hit the Web 2.0 world running, is being replaced by Peter Levinsohn, most recently President of Digital Media in the Fox Entertainment Group. Supposedly…
8:02 AM PT
Sorry guys, no one “quits” the Murdoch empire — this was a shove, a push, made to look like the dude is “pursuing new opportunities in digital media..” Ask Freston if you want to know how the media world works…and how about JohnnyCakes Miller at AOL or Jazin Calculating at AOL?…do you think these guys really want to go off and start another Napster clone? Of course not, no one really wants to get off the glamorous big media train…it takes a well-timed kick in the ass to get them off!
10:09 AM PT
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6:21 PM PT
I agree with one of the other commentors, I believe he got pushed out like most others do. Hopefully he can land on his feet.
7:00 PM PT
Wow. What are the chances of your replacement having the exact last name as you? Levinsohn is not a common name, is it?
2:00 AM PT
[...] than a big shift in strategy on the part of Levinsohn, in one of his first appearances since taking over from his cousin Ross [...]
6:39 PM PT
[...] few days ago I had breakfast with Peter Levinsohn, President of Fox Interactive Media, days after Rupert Murdoch made a $5 billion bid for Dow Jones. We chatted about a variety of [...]
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