Owen Van Natta As CEO Steps Down MySpace

The three executives joined MySpace in April 2009, Mr. Jones and Mr. Hirschhorn served previously as Director of Operations and Product Manager, respectivelyLos Angeles, CA, February 10, 2010 – News Corporation today announced that Owen Van Natta will retire from his position as CEO of MySpace, with immediate effect. Mr. Van Natta will be replaced by the newly elevated co-chairs Mike Jones and Jason Hirschhorn, who each report to Jon Miller, president and CEO of Digital Media by News Corporation.
I want to thank Owen for all their efforts.”However, when talking to Owen about their priorities, both personally and professionally in the future, both agreed it was best for him to resign at this time. “Owen took an incredible challenge in work to reorient and revitalize MySpace, and the business has recently shown positive signs as a result of hard work,” said Jon Miller, chairman of News Corporation and CEO of Digital Media.
Mr. Miller continued, “Mike and Jason have shown real leadership in their product and operational guidelines, respectively, and I have the utmost confidence in both to direct MySpace in the next chapter.
In a joint statement, Mr. Jones and Mr. said Hirschhorn
“We joined MySpace in April with a very specific set of objectives in mind, and eager to continue working together to make those goals a reality. This company is heading in the right direction and have a great team of employees who continue to push MySpace about its potential as a place where people will be discovered and undiscovered great content.
Mr. Van Natta comment
“MySpace is an incredibly unique and we have made real progress in terms of concentration of products and user experience. I’m proud of the work that we have all accomplished together and look forward to seeing its continued growth.
Prior to his role as chief operating officer at MySpace, Mr. Jones founded and operates several online businesses, including Userplane, a leading provider of tools for online communities like MySpace. He was also founder and CEO of Tsavo Media, an online content and search network generation development platforms and forthcoming technology servicesUserplane was acquired by AOL in 2006, when Jones later served as senior vice president and focused on monetization of social media and also pioneered the distribution of widgets and other technologies to Web publishers.
Since joining MySpace, Hirschhorn oversaw all aspects of product development, and has previously led both the commissioning and online businesses. He was president of Sling Media Entertainment Group Inc, which created powered consumer applications and services for the Slingbox device, and was chief digital officer of MTV Networks, where he oversaw the company’s digital media business, products and strategies. Hirschhorn joined MTV Networks, following the acquisition of his company, Mischief New Media, which provide interactive services to the entertainment industry