MTV losing programming chief Tony DiSanto

Now MTV really does have a situation on its hands.

The departure at the end of the year of MTV’s programming chief Tony DiSanto, along with one of his top lieutenants, will leave a big hole inside the red-hot cable network.

As president of programming, DiSanto, a 23-year MTV veteran, has overseen the cable network’s recent resurgence by shepherding such hit reality shows as “The Hills” and “Jersey Shore,” the latter of which has made household names out of its characters Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi.

In the last year, the Viacom Inc.-owned network has regained cachet among the fickle group of 12- to 34-year-olds that it targets. In addition to its blockbuster hit, “Jersey Shore,” the network has scored with “Teen Mom” and “The World of Jenks.”

So far this year, MTV’s ratings are up 14% among its target demographic of young adults compared with 2009. The third quarter — which included the network’s popular “Video Music Awards” — was particularly strong, with ratings growing 30% compared with the year-earlier period.

The quarter also included the launch of “World of Jenks,” which centers on a 24-year-old filmmaker, Andrew Jenks. He tells stories of interesting young people, including a mixed martial arts fighter, a rapper and a person who rescues animals.

DiSanto “is going back to his first love, which is producing, but we are fortunate that he still will work with us in his new venture,” said Van Toffler, president of the MTV Networks. “He leaves us in very good shape.”

MTV is known for its stable management. Many of its top executives have been with the network for more than two decades.

Leaving with DiSanto is Liz Gateley, a senior vice president of series development. They declined to comment Friday, but a person close to the situation said the duo were forming their own production company and had signed a deal with Electus, a new media company headed by former NBC Entertainment head Ben Silverman.

MTV was mum on how the network would replace DiSanto. The 42-year-old executive came to the music network as a 19-year-old intern in 1987 and rose through the ranks to become its president, a position that he has held for three years.

Toffler said promotions would come from within the company. DiSanto and Toffler began having discussions about DiSanto’s exit nearly a year ago and have since worked to bolster the team by adding several programming executives.

Among them is David Janollari, a well-known programming executive who has had stints at Warner Bros. and the WB Network. Janollari was hired by MTV to a senior role this year and is expected to take on more responsibility because of DiSanto’s exit. However, Janollari was brought in to help MTV develop more traditional situation comedies, and he is not as well-versed in the reality genre that is MTV’s bread and butter.

Toffler indicated that several other executives would be given more responsibilities, including Lauren Dolgen, the head of West Coast reality development; Shannon Fitzgerald, her newly hired counterpart on the East Coast; Dave Sirulnick, executive producer of signature MTV events; and Steve Tseckares, who recently joined MTV from Comcast Corp.’s E! Entertainment. Tseckares is in charge of studio-based programming and helped develop the new afternoon show “The Seven.”

Meg.james@latimes.com

Joe.Flint@latimes.com