Jordan Levin has unexpectedly resigned his position as CEO of The WB television network.

Reports indicate that Levin quit rather than accepting a demotion to entertainment chief as part of a new management structure that will install the network's chairman, Garth Ancier, in the top spot.

In a statement, Levin said: "My goal has never been to reach the rarified air of the executive ranks. It's to do things that keep me challenged, satisfy my curiosity and that I can learn from. For me, the idea of doing a job that I'd already done was not appealing."

A new entertainment chief is expected to be named shortly.