The shakeout from the regime change at Lifetime Television has begun, with senior executive Rick Haskins planning to exit the company.
Haskins was negotiating to take the network group's top programming slot, but couldn't come to terms with new CEO Betty Cohen. She has replaced former CEO Carole Black, who left the cable programmer in March.
Haskins will end a six-year stint as executive vice president/GM of Lifetime Entertainment Services. Though his background is primarily in marketing, Haskins filled in on programming and development at the women’s network since entertainment president Barbara Fisher left in May 2004.
He never officially took on her role, but in the past year, Lifetime has launched an ambitious slate of original scripted series and movies to try and revive the one-time top cable netwrok's sagging ratings.
Lifetime has enjoyed somewhat of a ratings revival in recent months. Haskins joined Lifetime in 1999 as executive VP, Lifetime Brand, and has since helped launch spin-off network Lifetime Real Women, book publishing outlet Lifetime Press, Lifetime Radio for Women, and Lifetime Home Entertainment.--John M. Higgins contirbuted to this story.
