After days of speculation and reports, DirecTV made it official Friday: President and chief operating officer Roxanne Austin will leave the satellite TV service when its pending takeover by News Corp. is complete.
"I am very proud of what we have accomplished at DirecTV in the past two years," Austin said in a statement. "Serving as DirecTV's president and COO has been tremendously rewarding. I care deeply about DirecTV and its future success, but with this imminent transition I am taking the opportunity to pursue my long-term career goals and move on to new endeavors."
Austin was named DirecTV president and COO in June 2001. Under Austin's leadership, DirecTV made several financial and operational improvements: DirecTV's revenue has increased 37 percent from $5.5 billion in 2001 to a projected $7.6 billion in 2003; and from third quarter 2001 through third quarter 2003, DirecTV subscriber growth has increased by 34 percent, and the service has added more than 2.6 million net new customers.
Mitchell Stern, chairman and chief executive of News Corp.'s FOX Television Stations group, will take the DirecTV president/COO job after News Corp. gains control of the satellite TV company.
