‘Idol’ Executive to Run New Fox Reality Channel

News Corp. on Thursday hired veteran television executive David Lyle to run Fox Reality Channel, which is scheduled to launch on cable systems next spring.

Lyle, an Australia native and former geologist, is charged with excavating Fox’s film vaults for forgotten relics as well as uncovering new concepts to appeal to 18- to 39-year-old viewers. Lyle was formerly a top executive with FremantleMedia, which produces “American Idol” for Fox Broadcasting Co.

The Reality Channel, into which Rupert Murdoch’s media company plans to pour nearly $100 million, is gearing up just as the reality genre recently has lost some of its luster. This season, TV’s biggest new hits have been scripted shows, including ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost.” Meanwhile, reality shows on major networks -- while still popular -- have lost viewers.

Still, Lyle said there was a guaranteed audience for the channel, which he plans to fill with a mix of shows, including some foreign-produced programs that are hits abroad.

“There’s a huge number of fans for whom too much reality is barely enough,” he said.

Fox’s channel is scheduled to debut on DirecTV, EchoStar Communications Corp.’s Dish network and Cox Communications Inc.’s cable systems, reaching about 17 million households. It will compete against another channel devoted to the genre, London-based Zone Vision’s Reality TV, which carries “Rescue 911” and “Animal Rescue.”