Investor and InfoSpace leader John E. Cunningham IV joins RealNetworks’ board

This morning, RealNetworks announced the addition of a new board member, namely John E. Cunningham IV, a General Partner at investment firm Clear Fir Partners and a board member of InfoSpace (now Blucora) since 1998.

RealNetworks, which is mostly known for its RealPlayer application and Helix streaming media platform, has had a rocky start of the month.

After a mere eight months on the job, former Adobe exec Thomas Nielsen recently stepped down as CEO of Internet media delivery software and services company RealNetworks, to be replaced ad interim by former chief exec and board chairman Rob Glaser.

Glaser says Cunningham’s appointment to the RealNetworks board is in part because he is perceived as “a great catalyst for change”.

The history of InfoSpace is well documented, and John E. Cunningham IV indeed played a key role in it. In RealNetworks’ press release, he is credited with streamlining multiple Blucora businesses, paying $500 million in cash dividends to shareholders and creating a growth business with significant free cash flow.

Cunningham also serves as a board member of AudienceScience and Qliance. The number of directors on RealNetworks’ board remains at seven after his appointment.