Does MTV Get the World Wide Web?

Everyone's jittery on the back-end of the upfronts this year.

First NBC booted programming chief Kevin Reilly, and now MTV's Tony DiSanto has announced that he's purging the network's executive ranks in preparation for a revamped management structure.

Variety reports that Rod Aissa, executive vice president of talent and series, is amongst four execs who will get the axe.

DiSanto plans to divide development responsibilities into three teams, according to Variety. Senior vice president of series development Liz Gateley, of Laguna Beach fame, will oversee (the dubiously distinct) reality and scripted television; senior vice president Chris Linn will handle production and production management; a vice president-to-be-named-later will take care of scheduling, distribution, and new media.

Judging by DiSanto's shiny new management structure, MTV still hasn't come to terms with the fact that the World Wide Web is here to stay.

MTV has been bleeding viewers, and a main reason for that has been the network's late entrance to the internet party. As audiences continue to shift to the new medium, MTV has yet to develop a competitive Web strategy and failed to extend its powerful offline market position into cyberspace. As the network became less relevant to its key demographic online, it also lost brand credibility offline.

If MTV wants to get back on track, it's going to have to divert resources and focus more attention on its internet strategy. DiSanto's decision to throw "new media" into the "miscellaneous" bin in his new management structure is not a promising start.

by Liz Gunnison