Below is a compilation of the latest moves in the industry.
The Walt Disney Co. has named Christine McCarthy senior executive VP and chief financial officer and Kevin Mayer senior executive VP and chief strategy officer. McCarthy, previously executive VP, corporate real estate, alliances and treasurer, will report to CEO Bob Iger. Mayer, formerly executive VP, corporate strategy and business development, will report to Iger and COO Thomas Staggs.
The Madison Square Garden Co. has hired David “Doc” O’Connor as president and CEO, effective July 15. O’Connor, who spent the last 30 years at Creative Artists Agency, will be tasked with laying out the company’s overall strategic vision, especially in its sports, media and entertainment businesses.
Tegna Media president Dave Lougee has been named joint board chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters. Lougee takes over for YMF Media’s Charles Warfield. E.W. Scripps’ Brian Lawlor replaces Lougee in the post of TV Board chairman. Hearst Television president Jordan Wertlieb is first vice chair of the TV board, while Schurz Communications’ Marci Burdick is second vice chair.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has upped Lauren Iossa to executive VP, chief marketing and communications officer, effective July 1. Iossa will continue to supervise brand and corporate marketing and global public relations for ASCAP.
WBAL-TV, Hearst Television's NBC affiliate in Baltimore, has tapped Michelle Chism as assistant news director, effective July 20. Chism, a 25-year veteran of broadcast journalism, has been the assistant news director of Austin's KVUE-TV since April 2013.
Radio personality Ed Tyll is the new CEO of Starcom Radio Network, which airs on 26 low power AM FM radio stations from Marshland, Ore. to Mooers, N.Y. Tyll, a Talkers Magazine Heavy Hundred Host 2003 and Atlanta Entertainer of the Year in 1987, airs his show live weekdays at 9 a.m. PT.
Professional Bull Riders, Inc., which was acquired by WME | IMG in May, announced a pair of prominent promotions June 29. Jim Haworth, who joined PBR as CEO in 2011, will become chairman, while Sean Gleason, who served as COO for 15 of PBR’s 23 years, has been upped to CEO.
Paul Guyardo has joined LivingSocial’s board of directors. Guyardo, who currently serves as executive VP and chief revenue and marketing officer at DirecTV, has more than three decades of experience in sales, marketing and advertising.
Jeff Hoffman is moving from Norfolk, Va., where he had been president and general manager of WTKR-WGNT, to Orlando to serve as VP and GM of Graham Media Group-owned CBS affiliate WKMG. Before his seven years leading the Norfolk stations, Hoffman was VP and GM at WAFF in Huntsville, Ala.
WideOrbit Inc. has hired Mickey McClay Wilson as chief marketing officer. Wilson, previously the VP at Walmart Global eCommerce, will be tasked with creating and implementing marketing strategy for WideOrbit, a provider of advertising management software for media companies.
Entertainment One has made a series of executive appointments. Mark Herwick will serve as head of current, U.S. alternative programming, Ben Megargel as senior director of development, Jesse Daniels as director of development and Elliot Schwartz as manager of development.
British actor Patrick Macnee, the star of 1960s TV series The Avengers, died June 25 of natural causes at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was 93. Macnee, who served in the Royal Navy during World War II, played the suave, bowler hat-wearing, umbrella-toting secret agent John Steed in the popular spy series.
AMC Networks announced a reorganization of operations of AMC Studios June 25, naming Rick Olshansky and Stefan Reinhardt as coheads of the studio. Olshansky, head of business affairs, and Reinhardt, senior VP of finance and studio operations, will report to president Charlie Collier. AMC Studios will supervise business affairs and production across AMC and SundanceTV.
Fox Networks Group has tapped Brian Sullivan as president of digital. Sullivan, formerly the CEO of Sky Deutschland, will be tasked with coordinating strategy for direct-to-consumer digital video and creating a global commercial platform to increase digital opportunities for data, ad serving and monetization.
Michael J. Smith has been upped to VP and general manager of WFRV Green Bay. Formerly general sales manager of the Green Bay station, Smith will also have oversight of WJMN in Marquette, Mich. He takes over for Joseph Denk, who was named GM of the Nexstar stations in Memphis and Jackson, Tenn.
Scott Diener is leaving his post as VP and news director of KCBS-KCAL Los Angeles. Diener, who previously served as news director at KTVK Phoenix and WHAS Louisville, is departing CBS-owned stations to pursue other opportunities.
Summit Broadband has added Sue Reinhold to the company, a provider of phone, Internet and cable TV services, as VP of engineering. Reinhold, a veteran in the cable and broadcast industry, will supervise Summit Broadband’s expansion in Central and Southwest Florida.
Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic has elevated Ivan Bargueiras to executive VP, ad sales in Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market. Bargueiras, who is based in Miami, will continue reporting to president and managing director Enrique R. Martínez.
