ABC Cable Network Group’s SoapNet has expanded its management team to help oversee the soap-opera channel’s rapid growth.

Sherri York, formerly national director of marketing and communications for MTV Networks, was brought on as vice president of marketing. Former Tribune Entertainment Producer Mary Ellen DiPrisco was named executive director of original programming.

SoapNet General Manager Deborah Blackwell said the channel, which runs same-day repeats of several ABC soap operas, has attracted more than 8 million subscribers over the last six months, making it the nation’s fastest growing cable network. The network added nine employees since June and the staff has grown to about 40.

Launched last year, SoapNet didn’t begin running paid advertising until Sept. 24.

“Because we were new and it was such a soft ad market, we would have been satisfied with a 50-percent sellout of our ad inventory,” Blackwell said. The network, however, has been selling nearly 100 percent of its ad time, she said.

Dashed Hopes

Republican radio personality Hugh Hewitt cleared up any confusion as to whether he would run for lieutenant governor by saying he absolutely would not seek the post.

A report last week by L.A. Times Columnist Patt Morrison said that Hewitt, who hosts a weekday talk show on Glendale’s KRLA-AM (870), was running a “joke campaign” for lieutenant governor. That came days after the Web site LARadio.com had Hewitt saying his candidacy had been killed after only one day.

The Federal Communications Commission’s equal-time provision for political candidates would pretty much make it impossible for him to run and keep his day job. “There is no sense of humor in the FCC apparently,” Hewitt said.

The talk show host said the $2,625 he spent to file was returned to him, but he seemed disappointed the campaign ended so quickly.

“I had a huge outpouring of support from other people who wish to mock the office,” Hewitt said. “There is nothing to do in that job but collect a check.”

In Other News…

Nikke Finke has left her post as executive editor of the Los Angeles Downtown News. Finke, a former L.A. Times writer and West Coast editor of New York magazine, had joined the weekly newspaper this summer…After an angry departure from Glendale’s KRLA-AM (870) George Putnam was set to return to radio this month with a talk show on KPLS-AM (830), operated by Catholic Family Radio. Putnam had spent 26 years on 870 AM before recently losing his weekday time slot.

Staff reporter Claudia Peschiutta can be reached at (323) 549-5225 ext. 229 or at [email protected]