America
Jackson's initial role in the US was as President and Chief Executive of USA Entertainment. In this role he was responsible for overseeing the cable television networks USA Network and Sci-Fi, as well as the feature film production company USA Films. After various mergers, his job became Chairman of Universal Television, and in this role he commissioned the successful drama series Monk (2002–present) and The Dead Zone (2002–07). In January 2006, he was made President of Programming of Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp internet business, responsible for producing multi-media content for the company's various websites.
Since his move to the USA, Jackson has been linked at various times with a return to a senior media position in the United Kingdom. In September 2002, only one year after he had left the country, the Independent on Sunday reported that Jackson had put himself forward as a candidate to run the ITV network, but nothing eventually came of this. Similarly, there was media speculation that he would at least apply for the vacancy of Director-General of the BBC following Greg Dyke's resignation in early 2004, again with no result. In 2006, The Observer reported that ITV wanted Jackson to replace their outgoing Chief Executive Charles Allen, but this role eventually went to Michael Grade, Jackson's predecessor at Channel 4; as a result, Grade resigned from his post as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC in a similarly surprising move to Jackson's departure from the corporation in 1997.
He is also on the board of Anglo-American company Nutopia (Production Company), founded in 2008 by Jane Root and Laura Franses.
Read more about this topic: Michael Jackson (TV Executive)
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