OWN Co-President Sheri Salata to Leave Company

OWN co-president Sheri Salata will be leaving the network to launch a new brand innovation agency, the network announced Wednesday.

OWN co-president Erik Logan will take over a sole president for the five-year old network, said network officials.

Salata is leaving OWN to launch a brand innovation agency and content/story platform, with OWN serving as one of the agency’s first clients, according to the network.

Logan and Salata were named co-presidents of OWN in 2011and have helped build OWN’s ratings and brand after the Winfrey-owned network initially struggled to find an audience.

Salata has worked with Winfrey since joining Winfrey’s Harpo Studios in 1995 as a promotions producer.  During her 15-year tenure, she held positions of increasing levels of responsibility, including senior promotions producer, supervising producer of promotion and development, and supervising producer.

Salata served as executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2006 through its finale in May 201 before taking over OWN’s co-president’s role.

 “I give my deep thanks and appreciation to Sheri not only for helping to create a strong platform of growth for OWN and our digital business, but for her tireless commitment and sacrifice producing the final years of The Oprah Winfrey Show,” said Winfrey in a statement.  “I am excited about what we are doing at OWN and look forward to continuing our growth with Erik and the dedicated team as we take our company to the next level.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.