Around the Net
Hulu Exec's Skip Open For Interpretation
- PaidContent et al., Monday, June 14, 2010 2:15 PM
The move is "the first big leadership change in Hulu's young career," writes paidContent.
"It is a bit odd that he's leaving
Hulu now, as the company's growth has flattened and it begins an interesting second phase -- working on initiatives like streaming its videos to devices like the iPad and Xbox, charging for some of
its content, and eventually trying to make enough money to matter to its parent companies, NBC, Fox, and Disney," notes Business Insider.
"Perhaps the move to Kleiner Perkins is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Business Insider adds. "But, in
theory, isn't running tech for Hulu -- arguably the most innovative thing in television -- also that kind of opportunity?"
Still, "The news comes at a time when the future of
Hulu is uncertain," writes TechCrunch. "The messaging around the departure is that this was simply
a great opportunity for Feng and didn't have anything to do with Hulu's current status, but it's hard to take that entirely at face value."
Three -- count 'em, three --
existing Hulu executives will be taking over Feng's responsibilities, beginning with Eugene Wei who is taking on the audience business; Rich Tom who will be heading technology, and Ting-hao Yang who
will be leading the China tech team.
Feng, a former Microsoft executive, joined Hulu early on after the company acquired Mojiti, the Beijing-based web video firm he was running. He then
built out the Hulu technology platform, and has since scaled the site into one of the most popular video sites on the web, with -- as Business Insider notes, "no notable screwups."
Separately, Christina Lee, Hulu's spokeswoman since launch and Feng's wife, is also leaving the company, reports paidContent.
