By Shirley Brady GSN president and CEO Rich Cronin tendered his resignation today. He will step down at the end of July, and his successor is expected to be named within weeks.

Cronin, who spent six years running the former Game Show Network, is credited with turning the channel into a profitable venture for 50-50 co-owners Liberty Media and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

He also more than doubled its carriage, from 31 million to 64 million homes, and oversaw its digital expansion, including cutting-edge two-screen (TV/PC) and one-screen (TV-only) interactive TV applications, during his tenure. Last month GSN introduced interactive mobile texting, another U.S. first for the channel.

"I am honored to have led a great team of creative business people in pioneering interactive television games and in growing GSN so dramatically," Cronin said in a statement. "Together we have built a strong business that combines GSN television, GSN.com, mobile/text participation and other digital media."

GSN board member Steve Mosko, President of Sony Pictures Television, commented: "We appreciate everything Rich has done to build GSN and bring it to profitability in a very competitive environment."

GSN board member and Liberty Media Corporation SVP Michael Zeisser added: "I want to thank Rich for all his hard work and success in building GSN into the top U.S. network for interactive television games, while growing GSN.com into a new destination for online games. Rich and the entire GSN team have done an exceptional job."

More details in tomorrow’s CableFAX Daily.

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