Andrea Wong, the chief executive of Lifetime Networks who spent three years making over the once-frumpy cable network into a showcase for splashy shows including “Project Runway” and “Drop Dead Diva,” is stepping down before her contract expires in April.

The move was not unexpected. Nearly six months ago, Lifetime was consolidated into the A&E Television Networks group, a shift that stripped Wong of some of her authority. She found herself reporting to a new boss, group CEO Abbe Raven. Lifetime now is a joint venture of Walt Disney Co., Hearst Corp. and NBC Universal.

“As with all acquisitions and mergers, change is inevitable,” Wong wrote Friday in a memo. “Now that my role in the acquisition of Lifetime by AETN is concluded, and the integration of the organizations including a more streamlined management structure is nearly complete, I believe that it is the right time for me to step down.”

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