MTV chief Stephen Friedman announces exit; Sean Atkins tapped for job
MTV President Stephen Friedman is stepping down from the post after seven years, as parent company Viacom Inc. grapples with sagging ratings at its marquee cable channels.
Friedman announced to staff members Wednesday that he was leaving MTV to return to pro-social campaign work.
MTV then announced that Sean Atkins, formerly of Discovery Communications and HBO, had been named MTV president, overseeing MTV, MTV2 and mtvU. Atkins previously was in charge of digital strategy at Discovery.
SIGN UP for the free Indie Focus movies newsletter >>
“The strength of MTV lies in its ability to constantly reinvent, and Sean’s forward-thinking, versatile leadership will ensure our brand and business continue to evolve and deliver for our audience,” Viacom Music and Entertainment Group President Doug Herzog said in an email to the staff about Friedman’s departure.
Before shifting to digital strategy, Atkins was in charge of Discovery Studios’ production studio on the West Coast.
Viacom has been scrutinizing its management ranks for much of this year, particularly after MTV’s longtime chief, Van Toffler, announced that he was leaving the company. Viacom then folded two divisions into one, and Herzog became responsible for the expanded cable channel empire that includes MTV, Logo, VH1, Comedy Central and Spike.
“Stephen gave me notice back in April, but stayed on to help with the transition as we brought MTV and Logo into the new music and entertainment group,” Herzog said in his email.
“I’m grateful for that, because his timing also gave me a beat to conduct a thorough, thoughtful search for the new president of MTV,” Herzog said.
Though many basic cable channels are struggling with lower viewership, MTV’s ratings have been particularly challenged.
MTV2 had a strong year in 2014, and the MTV channels remain a destination for young viewers with such shows as “Awkward.” But the group has been unable to recapture the glory it enjoyed in the “Jersey Shore” period more than five years ago now that digital entertainment options, including YouTube, Vine and Snapchat, have grabbed the attention of young consumers.
Friedman was brought into the organization in 1998 by former MTV chief Judy McGrath to create a public affairs division. He became MTV president in 2008. He was an early acolyte in the company for changing up its programming to better appeal to millennials, who have distinctly different programming tastes compared with Generation X.
“After 18 years, including seven at the helm of MTV, it reminds me of what originally inspired me to work here,” Friedman wrote in an email to staff announcing his departure. “When I was hired to create the pro-social department, I was told, ‘Your job will be to use MTV’s superpowers for good.’”
Many of the shows broadcast by MTV might not be considered pro-social. But don’t tell that to Friedman.
“When ‘Jackass’ was airing in all its glory, MTV, as part of a yearlong anti-bias campaign, went dark for an entire day scrolling the names of thousands of hate crimes victims to call for a comprehensive hate crimes bill -- which finally passed in 2009,” Friedman wrote in his note.
“While ‘Jersey Shore’ was at its height, we debuted ’16 and Pregnant’ and ‘Teen Mom,’” Friedman added. “Some mistook these cautionary tales as further sign of the apocalypse, but the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the shows helped drive a remarkable decrease in teen pregnancy.”
Viacom has experienced turnover in its upper management at its channels.
In July, MTV’s programming head, Susanne Daniels, abruptly left after three years and joined YouTube. MTV’s veteran soul man, Toffler, announced he was stepping down in February. Toffler stayed on for several months and produced MTV’s Video Music Awards last month, but he now is focused on building his own production company.
Twitter: @MegJamesLAT
MORE
Fox nominates activist shareholder Jeffrey Ubben of ValueAct Capital to board
CBS Entertainment Chief Nina Tassler to step down; Glenn Geller to oversee programming
From the Oscars to the Emmys.
Get the Envelope newsletter for exclusive awards season coverage, behind-the-scenes stories from the Envelope podcast and columnist Glenn Whipp’s must-read analysis.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
