Doug Herzog was named president of USA Network yesterday – just one year after leaving Fox.
Herzog, who will report to USA cable president Stephen Chao, replaces USA’s general manager, Rob Sorcher, who is leaving the network.
The former Comedy Central president and ex-top Fox Broadcasting entertainment exec said yesterday that he is looking forward to “taking USA Network to the next level.”
The programming whiz, responsible for the launch of hit such as “South Park” and “The Daily Show,” told The Post yesterday that after one year of “consulting and traveling” he’s ready to get back to work.
“I’m now very proficient at fourth-grade level math – and I finally learned how to use Napster,” he said of his time off. “But now they’re shutting down Napster – so it’s time to get back to work.”
Herzog starts his new job today. He said he plans to “stick to USA’s historical game plan” – a combination of acquired and original programming.
He’s not looking to “re-invent the network,” he asserted – but will “make it better” in the increasingly competitive arena of cable television.
He noted that Tuesday’s surprise announcement from AOL Time Warner that it will merge the WB network with Turner’s cable entities “reminds us how tough it’s going to be.”
“We don’t have that kind of cross-promotion,” he remarked.
He stated that one of his missions is to focus on event programming such as movies-of-the-week, miniseries and sports.
Herzog enters USA at a tumultuous time. USA lost its No. 1 status in prime time following the loss of the World Wrestling Federation franchise in September. Barry Diller’s USA Networks lost out to rival Viacom in a bitter struggle for the rights to air the wildly popular WWF.
USA did manage to come back, however, and tie for the No. 1 spot, with TBS Superstation, in prime time for the month of February.
The network’s “Attilla” series – which aired during February sweeps – earned a 5.8 rating – making it the second-largest audience for a basic cable miniseries.
Industry analysts said USA has faired well, despite the loss of the WWF and the much-talked-about advertising slowdown.
“USA ratings have been fine,” said Credit Lyonnais Securities analyst Richard Read. “I suppose Herzog will do more of what they’ve been doing, with a continued emphasis on original programming.”
Read noted that the network is at a disadvantage in that it is somewhat limited in its global expansion. “It just doesn’t have a well-defined identity overseas,” he said.
Industry insiders say Herzog’s talent lies in edgy yet appealing programming.
But his talents didn’t get him too far at Fox – where he failed to deliver any huge hits. During his two-year reign at the network, “Malcom in the Middle” was one of the only shows to break out.
Herzog was quickly replaced by the team of Gail Berman and Sandy Grushow. Fox is owned by News Corporation, which also owns The Post.
Prior to joining Fox in 1998, Herzog had been president of Comedy Central since 1995. Before joining Comedy Central, Herzog spent 11 years at MTV.
USA Networks closed up 31 cents at $24.44.