MySpace may be eyeing in-house CEO candidate
Jeff Berman, a rising star inside MySpace, has been described as a "dark horse" to replace outgoing CEO Chris DeWolfe, sources have said.
Even with all the buzz around Owen Van Natta, the former Facebook chief operating officer, as the leading candidate to replace outgoing CEO Chris DeWolfe at MySpace, I'm hearing talk that MySpace is also taking a look at Jeff Berman, its executive vice president of marketing and content.
Berman, who joined the company in 2006, was described as a dark-horse candidate, said sources with knowledge of the job search, who could not confirm whether Berman has been interviewed. Berman is well liked by Peter Levinsohn, president of Fox Interactive Media, the division that oversees digital properties for News Corp., MySpace's parent company, according to the sources. Berman, formerly the manager of MySpaceTV, did not respond to interview requests.
A MySpace representative said the company does not comment on rumors.
On Wednesday, DeWolfe announced he was stepping down after he was informed that News Corp. would not be renewing his contract, according to reports.
It's hard to believe that anyone would want the job at this point. Facebook already has more international traffic and in the not so distant future should overtake MySpace in the U.S.
MySpace Music chief Courtney Holt only benefits from DeWolfe's departure. DeWolfe retained so much control over MySpace Music that Holt was a CEO answering to another CEO. No matter how well Holt fared, DeWolfe was in position to take all the credit.