Veteran sports TV executive Shuken to lead Pac-12 network
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Pac-12 has hired Mark Shuken, the former CEO of DirecTV Sports Networks, to be president of the conference's cable networks.
Shuken, who has also run sports networks for Time Warner Cable, Liberty Media and Fox Sports, will join the Pac-12 Network on Sept. 6. He replaces Lydia Murphy-Stephans, who stepped down in June.
Unlike the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference, the Pac-12 has sole ownership of its network. The 5-year-old network has not produced revenue for its schools at the same rates as the Big Ten's and SEC's, but it is profitable, according to conference officials. The network produces about 850 live sporting events each year.
The main source of frustration for many fans has been the network's inability to strike a carriage deal with DirecTV.