Dolgen resigns as Paramount chief

LOS ANGELES, June 2 (UPI) -- Jonathan Dolgen resigned Wednesday as chairman of the Viacom Entertainment Group, saying Viacom's new management left him without a role in the company.

Dolgen headed Viacom's entertainment arm for 10 years. His resignation -- effective July 15 -- came one day after Mel Karmazin resigned as Viacom's chief operating officer, leaving oversight responsibility for the entertainment group to CBS President Leslie Moonves and MTV Networks chief Tom Freston.

Moonves was given responsibility for Paramount Television and Freston took charge of Paramount Pictures.

"There was no appropriate role for me in the new structure," Dolgen told Daily Variety.

During his tenure, Dolgen developed co-financing arrangements with other studios, as well as other creative approaches to holding down Paramount's production costs.

"Jon has been a great executive, a great negotiator and a great friend," said Viacom chief Sumner Redstone in a statement. "This is a sad day for me."