While a judge will decide Martha Stewart's future come June 17, the fate of her home decorating and cooking TV program already been sealed. Martha Stewart Living will be suspended this coming season as a result of her conviction for lying to federal investigators over a questionable stock sale.
Stewart's company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Corp., announced Tuesday that the Emmy-winning show will be placed on hiatus after it wraps its 11th season this September.
The move will wipe out nearly 40 jobs in the MSO TV division, with 35 remaining, company spokeswoman Elizabeth Estroff tells the Associated Press.
However, Martha Stewart Living said it will continue production of Petkeeping with Marc Morrone and step up its development of special and new programming such as Everyday Food.
As for her namesake program, Stewart, 62, said in a statement: "I am deeply sorry that it has become necessary for the show to go on hiatus until my personal legal situation is resolved. I hope to resume our close collaboration just as soon as I am able to do so."
Although Stewart was so closely identified with her show – on which she demonstrated everything from potting a plant to placing a doily – brand experts said the decision to suspend the TV show was a further sign that the company must distance itself from its creator.
"The closer that Stewart the person was associated with the actual products and services, the more damage all of the brand degradation brought them" as a company, Robert Passikoff, president of the Brand Keys consulting firm, tells Reuters.
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