Hardie replaces Taylor as Jetix boss

John Hardie will fill the Jetix Europe CEO role vacated by Paul Taylor, who has resigned as boss of the kids channel. Hardie will be CEO of Jetix and continue in his current role as Executive Vice President, Disney Channels EMEA.

Taylor who had been running Jetix since 2004 resigned following the announcement, last December, that Disney was buying the outstanding shares in the company it did not already own, clearing the way for it to hold 100% of the boy-skewed kids channel operator.

Jetix Europe’s shares will be delisted from the Amsterdam Stock Exchange by end-February.

Disney previously owned about 74% of Jetix. It acquired its original interest in mid-2001 as part of the $5.3 billion deal for Fox Family Worldwide and what was then called the Fox Kids channel.