GASPIN LEAVES VH1

According to various published reports, VH1 Executive VP of Programming Jeff Gaspin will be leaving the network to take a "top-level creative position" at NBC.

In his five years at VH1, Gaspin also helped launch "Pop-Up Video," "Storytellers" and "Legends." He was also behind the Vanessa Williams vehicle "A Diva's Christmas" and the four-part rock-n-roll horror anthology "Back In Black."

In a memo to top execs at MTV Networks, cited by Variety, VH1 chief John Sykes called Gaspin, "the architect of a programming plan that changed VH1 forever [turning] an ‘also-ran' music video-based operation to a network respected by audiences and industry alike."

Gaspin will likely serve as an executive VP at NBC, serving under Jeff Zucker.

"I've had the best five years of my career at VH1, but it was time for me, as corny as this sounds, to go beyond the music," Gaspin said. "I'm a TV guy more than a music guy, and I've worked on maybe 60 to 80 different music ideas at VH1. I want to concentrate more on the television side of things now more than the music."