OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Monday named Tina Perry general manager of the network, replacing departing network president Erik Logan.

Perry, promoted from executive VP of business and legal affairs, will oversee all business and creative areas of OWN beginning January 2019. Perry will report directly to network chairman and CEO Oprah Winfrey.

Logan will leave OWN after seven years serving as the network's president to take a position with the World Surf League. Under Logan’s tutelage, the network has become the leading cable network with African American women through a slate of original scripted programming such as Queen Sugar, Greenleaf and Love Is …, according to OWN.

“Erik has been a great leader and was the driving force in the network’s turn around. Everyone who knows Erik knows he has a passion for surfing and this is a perfect opportunity for him,” said Winfrey in a statement. “Tina has been an important and valued member of the executive team at OWN since before launch and played a vital role in shaping the network as a member of the board. I am confident in taking the reins at OWN she will guide the network to continued success.”

RELATED: OWN's Erik Logan Talks Up OWN's Original Shows (Video)

When actor/producer Tyler Perry announced he would no longer produce scripted shows for OWN after signing an exclusive production deal with Viacom’s networks beginning in 2019, many predicted OWN would pull back from the scripted arena. Instead OWN, under the leadership of network owner Oprah Winfrey, is doubling down on scripted programming.

Along with renewing its Winfrey starrer series Greenleaf and its Winfrey/Ava DuVernay co-produced series Queen Sugar for new seasons, OWN has teamed with creative heavyweights such as Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil, DuVernay and Will Packer to develop new series targeted to African-American women.

OWN president Erik Logan recently spoke to Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead about the loss of original scripted series from Perry, as well as the network’s plan to create new content. Here’s an edited excerpt of their conversation.

MCN:How big is the loss of the Tyler Perry scripted shows to OWN in terms of the network’s development of original scripted series?
Erik Logan: First of all, it’s still business as usual with Tyler — we have him on the air for many more years. He’s been a big part of what we’re doing and we’re going to continue to be in business with him under his exclusivity through May 2019, and we have the right to work with him beyond that on a nonexclusive basis. So we’re not viewing anything as a loss; we’re looking at it as an opportunity to grow our programming with other shows as we pivot into this new era of scripted programming for OWN.

MCN:How important is the scripted genre for the OWN brand?
EL: Obviously, we launched originals through the unscripted space before adding Tyler’s scripted content in 2013. Then Oprah had some thoughts about how she wanted to develop some new vehicles to tell a different story, and that’s when Greenleaf and Queen Sugar came about. Because of the success of those shows, we now have four of the top six scripted shows [among African-American female audiences] in all of cable today. And what that does is, it gives you a tremendous amount of confidence to keep leaning into that type of storytelling, and that led us to having more discussions with other content producers.

Oprah had always wanted to work with Mara and Salim Akil and that deal came together, which was tremendous. Then we had more conversations which led to this amazing opportunity with Will Packer, and Will talks to a different type of audience because Will has his way of telling stories. Then the success with Ava [DuVernay] that we have had with Queen Sugar — which led to the season three [renewal], and also to Harpo Films having an overall deal with Ava — gives us access to more creative. So the way we look at it is we’re going to invest in scripted shows.

MCN:In this crowded environment of 450-plus scripted shows, how important is it for OWN and other networks to have high-profile producers behind scripted products to help cut through the clutter?
EL: I think you know having big hit shows requires a lot of things. It requires an exceptional showrunner; it requires a tremendous writer’s room; it requires a flawless execution — all of the things that we know. When we start the creative process with Oprah, she says to people like Ava, like Mara and Will Packer that this is a place for creatives to really have the freedom to tell the stories that they want to tell. Because Oprah’s part of the alchemy that makes the stories work, we’re able to clearly shine a light on who our audience is, and focusing very specifically on our audience is how we cut through the clutter. We cut through by knowing who we’re talking to and how we’re talking to them.

That’s the reason why we are bullish about this new era that we’re moving into. Because of Oprah, Ava and the work that Tyler has done laying that foundation for us for all those years, scripted will continue to be a part of what we do; Mara has the opportunity to build from there and so does Will. So you know, it really is a very interesting mix of creative people that we have brought together and it all sort of feeds on one another.

MCN:Will Oprah become more involved in the development of these shows, either in front of or behind the camera?
EL: Oprah will weigh in on where she wants to be and how she wants to be. That’s what has been so exciting with this process — you know she can move in and out of any show that she wishes. She works directly with Ava on Queen Sugar and directly with Craig Wright on Greenleaf. So you know Oprah really gets involved with these creative people to establish the expectations of what our viewers want to see. A key part of this is making sure we have stories, imagery, narratives so that our target 25-54 African-American female can see themselves on our air in a way they haven’t before. So getting that right is why we continue to move into this new era of premium scripted cable.

Oprah Winfreyis putting the “O” in OWN’s scripted series lineup. After successfully teaming with Tyler Perry to jump into the scripted arena which such originals as The Haves and the Have Nots and If Loving You Is Wrong, the network in June premiered its megachurch-themed drama Greenleaf, in which Winfrey herself starred in a recurring role as blues club owner Mavis McCready. The series was an instant hit for the network, averaging 3 million viewers for its June 21 debut, a record for an OWN series premiere. In OWN’s second non-Perry scripted drama series, the upcoming family drama Queen Sugar, Winfrey serves as executive producer with Selma producer Ava DuVernay. The Wire spoke with OWN president Erik Logan about the network’s scripted series push and how much the Oprah factor and her decision to become more hands-on with the shows have helped influence the network’s scripted fortunes.

Related Video:MCN One-on-One in 2 -- OWN's Erik Logan

The Wire: How have OWN and Oprah looked to develop the network’s original scripted series?

Erik Logan: We’re doing what we feel we’ve always tried to do, which is to find stories that connect with people that need to be told. If you look at Greenleaf narrowly, what excited us all about this project was that it was a family drama, but what was going to make this one different was that we were going to feature African-Americans in a way where they can see themselves in real issues that are facing the community. You put that on the backdrop of an African-American megachurch, and layer in what everybody knows that has either been printed or rumored to have happened in churches of that size and stature, and it really gives a wonderful arena to tell stories.

I think the success is that there’s such a push/pull in this story of truth is greater than fiction and fiction is greater than truth. Every episode, we feel, goes to the audience and invites them to think about themselves, their communities and who they are as well. That has always been the core of OWN. If you go back to 2011 when we put [Oprah’s] Lifeclass on the air for the very first time, when Oprah was just sitting in a chair … the intention of that show was to have people start thinking and inducing interest into how to better your life. Scripted is just a new way of doing that for Oprah. I think you’ll see that with Queen Sugar as well. We tackle some very, very real critical, cultural issues in a very similar way that we did with Greenleaf.

TW: Will we see more of Oprah on screen as the network develops more original scripted content?

EL: Certainly, if you’re running the network, the answer is absolutely. To be real about it, if she sees characters in these stories that really spoke to her — like Mavis spoke to her in Greenleaf — the answer is going to be yes. She loves acting and she’s certainly doing a lot of it now. She enjoyed her Greenleaf experience, but I will also say she enjoyed her Queen Sugar experience just as much — serving as executive producer with Ava — behind the camera as much as in front of the camera. I’m often asked how involved she is, and I say we’ve been having a series of meeting around a lot of things. People still get taken aback that some of the decisions on these shows — whether it’s casting or choosing clothing articles or colors or palettes — that Oprah is in these conversations.

One of the things that I think is so great — and I’ve stolen this as a line from her — is that she taught me that love is in the details. The reason why Greenleaf is as successful and is on brand and is connecting — and why Queen Sugar will be the same — is because that is who Oprah is. She is leaning into those details. We have other projects out there that she may or may not be in. Certainly we have a season two of Greenleaf coming so we’ll see what happens with the storyline of Mavis. It’s real fun to dream that up right now.

[Queen Sugar debuts on Tuesday, Sept. 6, on OWN.]

OWN co-president Sheri Salata will be leaving the network to launch a new brand innovation agency, the network announced Wednesday.

OWN co-president Erik Logan will take over a sole president for the five-year old network, said network officials.

Salata is leaving OWN to launch a brand innovation agency and content/story platform, with OWN serving as one of the agency’s first clients, according to the network.

Logan and Salata were named co-presidents of OWN in 2011and have helped build OWN’s ratings and brand after the Winfrey-owned network initially struggled to find an audience.

Salata has worked with Winfrey since joining Winfrey’s Harpo Studios in 1995 as a promotions producer.  During her 15-year tenure, she held positions of increasing levels of responsibility, including senior promotions producer, supervising producer of promotion and development, and supervising producer.

Salata served as executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2006 through its finale in May 201 before taking over OWN’s co-president’s role.

 “I give my deep thanks and appreciation to Sheri not only for helping to create a strong platform of growth for OWN and our digital business, but for her tireless commitment and sacrifice producing the final years of The Oprah Winfrey Show,” said Winfrey in a statement.  “I am excited about what we are doing at OWN and look forward to continuing our growth with Erik and the dedicated team as we take our company to the next level.”

OWN decided to put its documentary series on the first openly gay NFL football player on hold indefinitely to allow the player to focus on making the St. Louis Rams’ team, OWN co-president Erik Logan confirmed Monday.

OWN’s the Untitled Michael Sam Project, which was set to follow Sam's life as he looked to make the Rams team which drafted him in the second round of the NFL draft, came under criticism last week for potentially serving as a distraction for Sam and the Rams’ football activities.

Speaking on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike Show Monday morning, Logan said the network assumed it wouldn’t have access to Sam’s on the field or locker room activities, but rather would follow Sam through his off-the-field comments. He added the network ultimately decided to postpone the series after meeting last Thursday with Sam’s representatives and the Rams.

“We came to an understanding that the best decision for Michael right now is for him to focus 100% on football right now,” Logan said. “The most significant thing he can do now is make the team. It was an easy call to make.”

Logan said the network will work in collaboration with the Rams and Michael’s team to figure out the right time to resume the documentary. “It’s a big football story but it’s also much bigger than that,” he said.