Saccone Resigns As MundoFox President

MundoFox, the Spanish-language network backed by News Corp. and Columbian programming giant RCN, will begin searching for a new president following the resignation of Emiliano Saccone on Monday.

In a memo to staff, Saccone announced “a very personal decision” to step down from the position on Jan. 15, 2014, “to look at some more entrepreneurial ventures.”

“I love building brands and teams. I also love creating, developing and producing content,” the memo said. “Launching (and then running) a U.S. broadcast network for the past almost two years has been a personal highlight of mine (and arguably my own Ph.D. on television!). It also made me realize just how much I miss that creative process.”

Saccone was named president of MundoFox in March 2012 after serving as Fox International Channels’ president of entertainment and EVP of content. He has been with Fox in various capacities for 15 years.

Fox Networks spokesman Scott Grogin says Saccone and MundoFox have agreed to a “first look” deal to develop television series for Fox International Channels. 

The network has yet to begin its search for Saccone’s successor, Grogin says.

In his resignation letter, Saccone praised MundoFox’s growth in primetime ratings and “first-class journalism.” In several key markets, MundoFox shows have been ahead of Estrella, Telemundo and Unimas despite limited distribution, he said.