FX Names In-House Candidate to Top Job

FX Networks’ entertainment president, John Landgraf, was named Tuesday to the cable channel’s top post of president and general manager.

Landgraf, 42, had been considered the leading candidate for the job. He will be responsible for all business and programming operations including program development, scheduling, marketing, public relations, research and business affairs for FX and the Fox Movie Channel.

He replaces former FX Networks President and Chief Executive Peter Liguori, who was named entertainment president at sister network Fox Broadcasting Co. in March.

“I’m happy we have the depth of talent to fill the job from within,” said Tony Vinciquerra, president and CEO of Fox Networks Group, which is owned by News Corp.

In a telephone news conference Tuesday, the executives said they hoped to continue the upward momentum of the networks’ ratings, which have surged with its award-winning original series “The Shield,” “Nip/Tuck” and “Rescue Me.”

“FX is better positioned today than it has ever been, and we expect John’s expertise will enhance FX’s strength across both the business and creative communities,” Vinciquerra said in a statement.

Landgraf told reporters that he expected lower-ranking executives at FX would eventually move up to fill the programming gap. Meanwhile, he said, “between me and them, we’ll manage to get everything done that needs to get done.”

This season, “The Shield,” a gritty crime series about a Los Angeles police precinct, has attracted an average of 3.2 million viewers, up 26% from a year earlier. Last year, “Nip/Tuck,” which focuses on two plastic surgeons in Miami, was the top-rated original series among adults ages 18 to 49 on basic cable.

Since joining FX Networks 17 months ago, Landgraf has shepherded several new series into production, including “Over There,” a war drama from Steven Bochco, and “30 Days,” a documentary-style unscripted series from filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me”).

Formerly, Landgraf was president of Sony Corp.-based Jersey Television, a company he co-founded with Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher.