Nick at Nite’s TV Land Chief Is Fired

Viacom’s MTV Networks said Wednesday that the company had fired Nick at Nite’s TV Land President Rich Cronin after learning that Cronin had signed a contract to work for Fox Kids Worldwide immediately after his MTV contract expires in July 1998. TV Land’s No. 2 executive, marketing veteran Larry W. Jones, was named to replace Cronin. Jones has the new title of general manager of TV Land.

Cronin was a 13-year veteran of MTV Networks. He received much of the credit for last year’s successful launch of TV Land, a cable spinoff of Nick at Nite. Cronin could not be reached for comment on Wednesday; an MTV spokesperson said he had not been working out of MTV’s offices in New York since Friday.

Fox Kids Worldwide, a co-venture of News Corp. and Saban Entertainment, completed a purchase of International Family Entertainment in September. IFE’s Family Channel airs family-targeted reruns a la Nick at Nite; Fox Kids competes head-to-head with MTV’s Nickelodeon. It is unclear what Cronin’s title there will be.

An MTV source said the Cronin matter was being reviewed by the company’s legal department for possible breaches on Cronin’s part. Fox Kids spokesman Barry Stagg said that company had no comment.