Former Nickelodeon and Spike TV exec Albie Hecht to head HLN

Veteran television executive Albie Hecht has been tapped to be the new executive vice president and general manager of the cable channel HLN.

Part of the CNN empire, HLN has gone over a few makeovers over the last couple of years. Formerly known as Headline News, the channel, with its focus on crime, trials, and pop culture, is something of a hybrid of CNN and E! Its most well-known personalities are lawyer Nancy Grace and Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Hecht’s background is primarily in entertainment including long stints at Viacom’s Nickelodeon and Spike TV. His hiring will likely be seen as a further sign that HLN will continue to distance itself from its hard-news roots. He is replacing Scot Safon, who left the channel last month.

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CNN President Jeff Zucker said Hecht is one of the “most creative” executives working in television and played a key part in the creation of “some of media’s most well-known brands and franchises.”

Hecht said he came to HLN for the chance to “further evolve a noted brand, reinvent news in a digital age.” He added that his new boss Zucker is “an industry giant.”

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Follow Joe Flint on Twitter @JBFlint.