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Lyle Named Fox Reality Channel GM

Dec 17, 2004  •  Post A Comment

David Lyle has been named general manager and chief operating officer of the new Fox Reality Channel.

Mr. Lyle, previously president of entertainment for FremantleMedia, the studio behind Fox’s hit “American Idol,” will report to Tony Vinciquerra, president and CEO of Fox Networks Group. The new channel has carriage deals with DirecTV, DISH Network and Cox Communications, which means it will premiere with about 17 million homes.

Mr. Lyle expects the channel to launch in May 2005 and to feature a mixture of original programming plus library material that will be repurposed and revamped. The network will draw heavily on the reality expertise of Fox, but Mr. Lyle also expects it to air programs that have appeared on competitive networks.

With solid distribution in place, Mr. Lyle said the new Fox Reality Channel has a real advantage over the other channels that have targeted the genre.