Vice Television is going through a shuffle at the top, with head exec Morgan Hertzan set to exit next week and Pete Gaffney replacing him on an interim basis.The move was just announced internally by Vice Media Group CEO Bruce Dixon in a memo to employees.Hertzan plans to segue to another, unspecified opportunity after his last day at Vice on April 12. His move follows waves of staff departures and dramatic changes at Vice. The onetime media industry darling filed for bankruptcy last year and was acquired for $350 million (a fraction of its valuation a decade ago) by a consortium led by Fortress Investment Group. A+E Networks remains a stakeholder in Vice TV. On pay-TV, the network launched as Viceland in 2016 after taking over A+E’s H2 in a rebrand before later adopting the name Vice TVDuring his tenure, Hertzan launched and oversaw Vice TV’s “Dark Side” franchise, which started with a look inside professional wrestling before expanding to other subjects. He also forged distribution ties with a wide range of partners, including streaming platforms, introducing FAST channels as a hedge against cord-cutting trends that have eroded viewership across the traditional dial.“We have faced adversity and headwinds in a challenging and competitive industry, but despite that, Vice TV continues to defy gravity, and you should all be so, so proud of that,” Hertzan told his colleagues.“Morgan has done a terrific job growing Vice Television over the past five years, and I want to thank him for his leadership,” Dixon wrote.Gaffney is a 25-year TV industry vet who has had a 5-year run at Vice, most recently as SVP, Content Strategy and Program Scheduling. “I am confident that Pete will continue to grow the business with a focus on producing the type of creative, innovative programming for which Vice is known,” Dixon added.
© 2024 Deadline.