He replaces Rob Solomon, who remains chairman of the company's board of directors. Livingston will focus on strategic initiatives.

The Austin-based USOL's subsidiary, US OnLine, provides local and long distance telephone services, cable television and high-speed Internet access, to residents of MDUs. It services the major markets of Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, San Antonio, Washington, DC and Portland and has the potential to serve about 54,430 units.Livingston brings a variety of experiences to his new job. Most recently, he's been a consultant, with USOL serving as one of his clients. He's also been an executive at Home Interiors & Gifts Inc. and CFO and vice president of business operations for the Dallas Mavericks.

USOL, a publicly traded company, lost $4.7 million on revenues of $3.3 million in the quarter ending March 31. Its share price had been $1.25, unchanged in trading this morning. The 52-week high had been $11.68 in September and the low, 69 cents in April.