Updated: It’s official. News Corp has confirmed that Van Natta is MySpace’s new CEO. The full release is embedded after the jump.

It will be completely anticlimactic by then but Kara Swisher is reporting—and I believe it to be true—that News Corp (NYSE: NWS). will announce Friday that former rival Owen Van Natta is the new CEO of MySpace. Van Natta, who left Facebook and flirted with other positions before opting for CEO of Playlist, will be the first new leader of the massive social net since its founding.

Van Natta follows Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, respectively CEO and president, who shaped MySpace and retained leadership after it was acquired by News Corp. in 2005. They outlasted two heads of Fox Interactive Media, Ross Levinsohn and Peter Levinsohn (and numerous heads of other business acquired by FIM)— but not Jon Miller, who joined News Corp. this month to head digital. Miller would not have taken that job without News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch’s understanding that he needed the right to make changes at MySpace. Van Natta is only part of it; other offers have been made and are moving forward. Initial hopes were to announce a cluster together but the rushed timeline put a damper on that.

We reported last night that the paperwork wasn’t done; in fact, I don’t think Van Natta, who I am told was the only candidate for this particular job, had formally accepted it before the news broke that a change was in the works. But the TechCrunch report that DeWolfe had been fired—before it happened and before Miller’s choices were ready—sped up the process to 78 rpm from 33 1/3. In quick order, DeWolfe’s fate was sealed, Anderson’s was under discussion and Van Natta signed on.

But DeWolfe isn’t going away completely and Anderson likely will have some status with the company. His situation is the more difficult of the two; as it was put it to me, “you have to treat someone who’s tied to the audience with a lot of respect.”

Photo Credit: dfarber

News Corporation Names Owen Van Natta Chief Executive Officer of MySpace
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Los Angeles, CA, April 24, 2009 – News Corporation today announced the appointment of Owen Van Natta to the role of MySpace Chief Executive Officer effective immediately.  Mr. Van Natta will be based in Los Angeles and report directly to Jonathan Miller, News Corporation’s CEO of Digital Media and Chief Digital Officer.   

A highly-regarded digital executive, Mr. Van Natta, 39, previously served as Chief Revenue Officer and Vice President of Operations for Facebook, where he helped negotiate Facebook’s $240 million investment from Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT).  Earlier, he served as Vice President of Worldwide Business and Corporate Development for Amazon.com (NSDQ: AMZN). Most recently, he was the CEO of Playlist, Inc., an online music company. 

“Owen combines a deep understanding of social networking, a keen business sense and the operational experience to guide MySpace through its next phase of growth. I’m confident his leadership will be an invaluable asset,” said Mr. Miller.  “I plan to work closely with Owen to shape our long-term vision around this vibrant community that already attracts more than 130 million users worldwide.”

“I’m thrilled to have the privilege to pilot MySpace in what is sure to be an incredibly exciting and rewarding next chapter for the business,” said Mr. Van Natta. “I feel honored to build upon the immeasurable achievements of the MySpace founders and look forward to working with Jon and the MySpace team to meet the challenges and make the most of the opportunities before us.” 

While serving as Vice President of Operations and Chief Revenue Officer for Facebook, Van Natta focused on revenue operations, business development, strategic partnerships and technical operations. As Vice President of Worldwide Business and Corporate Development at Amazon.com, he managed global marketing programs and strategic partnerships. He was also part of the founding team of A9.com, the Amazon.com search company, and was responsible for site operations and sponsored-link advertising. Owen earned a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

• It’s Official: Chris DeWolfe To Exit As MySpace CEO; Tom Anderson Out As President
• MySpace Shakeup: DeWolfe Out As News Corp Digital Head Miller Takes Charge
• What Jon Miller Brings To News Corp.—And What He Needs To Do