By early 2012, both other ABC Daytime soap operas had been cancelled, "All My Children" ending in September 2011, and "One Life to Live's" scheduled final air date on January 13, 2012. On January 9, 2012, former "One Life To Live" executive producer Frank Valentini officially replaced Jill Farren Phelps as the executive producer of "General Hospital", while former "OLTL" head writer Ron Carlivati replaced Garin Wolf and Shelly Altman as head writers, who were both demoted to part of the back-up writing staff before being eventually fired from the show later that year. They had previously been hired as co-head writers replacing Bob Guza during the late summer and fall of 2011. Prior to joining "GH", Valentini and Carlivati helped wrap up "OLTL" after its cancellation and subsequent transition to Prospect Park's online venture failed to happen. In the wake of the other cancelled series on ABC, and the low ratings of "General Hospital" itself, there was speculation that the new regime was an attempt by the network to save "General Hospital" from the same fate, some comparing it to the hiring of Gloria Monty in 1978.