• by Paul Gough , February 18, 2003

AOL Time Warner suffered another high-profile defection Tuesday when Turner Broadcasting head Jamie Kellner said he wanted to leave Atlanta and go back to running The WB Network.

Kellner, who has been chairman and CEO of Turner’s cable operations for two years, will be replaced by former Turner executive Philip I. Kent. Kellner’s contract runs through mid-2004.

Turner Broadcasting’s domain includes CNN, TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies plus the Atlanta Braves, Hawks and Thrashers.

AOL Time Warner said Kellner recently told the company that he wanted to go back to California for family reasons instead of staying at Turner Broadcasting headquarters in Atlanta. He agreed to remain in Atlanta through the summer, then commute biweekly to Atlanta until a replacement could be found. The company said that wasn’t necessary after the selection of Kent, who has a long background at Turner. The transition has been accelerated, with Kent taking over March 10.

“Phil is an executive who can assure the continued success of these businesses in terms of both content and financial performance,” Kellner said in a statement. He’ll also run ACME Communications, The WB’s third-largest stations group, which isn’t owned by AOL Time Warner.

Kellner led the Fox Broadcasting Co. from 1986 to 1993, when he left to launch The WB. In 2001, Kellner was picked to oversee the merger of The WB and Turner Broadcasting’s vast cable networks. He’ll also be remembered for remarks last year where he lambasted viewers who use DVRs to skip commercials.

“Your contract with the network when you get the show is you’re going to watch the spots. Otherwise you couldn’t get the show on an ad-supported basis. Any time you skip a commercial … you’re actually stealing the programming,” he told an interviewer.

In a separate but related announcement, AOL Time Warner said The WB will report to Warner Bros. again.

Kent is no stranger to AOL Time Warner. He was president of Turner Broadcasting System International and was president/CEO of the CNN News Group at AOL Time Warner until August 2001.

Jeffrey Bewkes, chairman of AOL Time Warner's Entertainment & Networks Group, praised Kent.

“Phil is uniquely qualified to continue the tremendous success that Jamie has achieved over the past two years. He has worked extensively both domestically and internationally for Turner, and Phil deserves much credit for making CNN and Cartoon Network such strong and profitable global brands,” Bewkes said.