DirecTV Exec Steps Down
The president of DirecTV abruptly resigned Monday, a little more than a year after he was handpicked for the job by News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch in the wake of his takeover of the satellite TV leader.
DirecTV executives said no replacement would be named for Mitchell Stern, who had been commuting weekly between New York and the company’s El Segundo headquarters. Instead, sources said, the company would be run by DirecTV Group Inc. Chief Executive Chase Carey and two other News Corp. executives who have yet to be named.
But one of those is expected to be David Hill, chairman of Fox Sports Television Group, who has won wide praise for his creative instincts. He is credited with inventing such mainstays as the yellow first-down line in pro football games and the fixed scoreboard at the bottom of the TV screen. Hill will retain his position at Fox Sports, sources said.