Yahoo CEO search focuses on Ross Levinsohn, Jason Kilar

Hulu Chief Executive Jason Kilar is on the short list of candidates to take over as head of struggling Internet giant Yahoo.

Kilar is among the leading contenders for the chief executive’s post, along with Yahoo’s interim CEO, Ross Levinsohn, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Yahoo’s board has yet to be presented with a list of finalists, according to another person close to the situation who asked not to be named because of the confidentiality of the search process.

Kilar, a former top executive at Amazon.com Inc., was recruited to run Hulu because of his Internet experience. He and his team built Hulu into one of the leading online video sites in the U.S., attracting nearly 26 million viewers, according to the most recent figures from measurement firm ComScore Inc.

The Wall Street Journal’s AllThingsD site was the first to identify Kilar, who has had highly publicized clashes with Hulu’s media parents, as one of the leading contenders for the top Yahoo job.

Levinsohn, who joined Yahoo in 2010, was considered as having the inside track for the job.

The interim CEO has spent his career straddling technology and media, working in senior positions with search pioneer AltaVista, as well as CBS Sportsline, where he oversaw content and development. As president of News Corp.‘s Fox Interactive Media, Levinsohn was responsible for the media giant’s digital media strategy.

The corner office at Yahoo has had a revolving door, with former CEO Scott Thompson forced to step down in May, just four months into the job, amid questions of resume padding. He succeeded Carol Bartz, who was fired after a rocky two-year tenure.

Neither Levinsohn nor Kilar could be reached for comment.

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