Yahoo Shaking Up Its Media Division

Yahoo Inc. is shaking up the management of its Santa Monica-based media group by pushing out a senior executive, redeploying another and hiring a third from outside.

The Internet company plans to announce today that it has hired Vince Broady from CNet Networks Inc. to oversee its entertainment, game and youth-oriented Web properties.

In 1995, Broady, 38, helped found GameSpot, a video game site later acquired by CNet. He worked his way up at CNet to become senior vice president of entertainment.

“If you get someone like Vince, you organize around him,” said Mike Vorhaus, managing director for Frank N. Magid Associates, a media consulting firm.

To make room for Broady, Yahoo Media Group chief Lloyd Braun named former CBS executive David Katz, who was hired last year to run Yahoo’s sports and entertainment businesses, to lead Yahoo Studios. The new unit will work to create original programs for Yahoo websites and strike content deals with entertainment companies and talent agencies.

“It sounds like a great job,” Vorhaus said. “I hope they get to spend reasonable money over a reasonable period of time.”

Katz will still oversee Yahoo Sports.

One executive isn’t expected to survive the reshuffling. Shawn Hardin, whom Braun hired from Time Warner Inc.’s AOL a year ago, is expected to leave Yahoo. He had run its game, health and youth websites. Hardin could not be reached for comment.