News Corporation's (NYSE:NWS) Jonathan Miller (pictured) wasted little time
putting his strategic stamp on MySpace. One month after being named
chief digital officer, Miller is replacing MySpace founder and chief executive Chris DeWolfe and reassigning president Tom Anderson. DeWolfe will remain on the board of MySpace China and a strategic adviser to the company.
That Miller, who oversees a wide digital portfolio that includes IGN Entertainment and the online video site Hulu, has made MySpace his strategic priority isn't a surprise. MySpace has lost ground to rival Facebook, and a revenue generating partnership with Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is set to expire next year. Reinvigorating the brand and the business model have surely been high on News Corp.'s agenda.
Miller hasn't laid out his vision for MySpace beyond the management shakeup. But his track record shows he isn't afraid of bold initiatives. During his four-year tenure as CEO of America Online, Miller pursued multiple strategies to revive the business. The boldest was convincing his Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TW) bosses to turn the AOL business model on its head by giving away content for free and selling advertising to generate revenue. The move appeared to be paying off, but it wasn't enough to save Miller's job. He was fired in November 2006 a few months after implementing the strategy.
The most pressing need at MySpace is to find a replacement for DeWolfe. This
TechCrunch post offers a list of candidates. It's clear, though, that whoever takes the job should be ready and open to input from the hands-on Miller. - Suzanne Stevens
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