After just three months in the job as EM.TV & Merchandising's CFO Marius Schwarz (pictured) is exiting the company at the behest of CEO Werner Klatten and with the consent of the supervisory board.

As of November 27, the executive board will consist of only two members - Klatten, who will now also take over responsibilities for finance and controlling, and Rainer Huether, board member with responsibility for marketing, TV sales, production and merchandising.

"The slimming down of personnel in the board follows the concentration on the operational core of the company which, by the end of the year, will have fewer than 100 employees", Klatten declared in a statement. "2002 will be the decisive year for our reconstruction. We are entering the year under clear leadership and with precise targets".

Schwarz came to EM.TV in the middle of the year from the multiplex operator CinemaxX to take over from Ralf Rickmeyer who had in his turn been the successor as CFO for Florian Haffa.

German press reports suggested that Schwarz's departure had been prompted by differences of opinion between himself and Klatten on the future strategy for the company.