The Sporting News, part of the Newhouse family’s Advance Publications empire, has tapped a former top executive of Sports Illustrated, Jeff Price, to be its new president and publisher.

It is the first major move by Whitney Shaw, the new CEO of American Cities Business Journal, since taking over the job following the sudden death last year of his father, longtime CEO Ray Shaw.

The Newhouses bought Sporting News from Paul Allen’s Vulcan Ventures in 2006.

Price was the president of SI Digital for 3½ years before leaving in mid-2009 to try his hand in a mobile and Web start-up, Digital Golf Solutions.

Price replaces Ed Baker, who has been named the chief strategy officer of ACBJ. He also runs the chain’s Altanta weekly.