Below is a compilation of the latest moves in the industry.
Turner Broadcasting announced Nov. 4 the appointment of Kevin Reilly as president of TNT and TBS and chief creative officer of Turner Entertainment. Reilly, the former entertainment president at Fox Broadcasting and NBC, will report to David Levy, president of Turner Broadcasting. Former president of TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies Michael Wright left his post more than two months ago to become CEO of DreamWorks.
Joyce MacDonald is taking the post of VP of journalism at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Most recently the interim president and CEO of National Public Media, MacDonald joins CPB on Nov. 10 and will work with Bruce Theriault, the senior VP, journalism and radio, on strategy, planning and initiatives for journalism.
TV writer and producer Norman Lear will give the opening keynote at the NATPE||Miami conference, which will be held Jan. 20-22 at Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach. The NATPE made the announcement on Nov. 4. Lear, 92, produced CBS’ All in the Family, which won four Emmys and a Peabody.
Paul Buccieri is leaving ITV to become president of A&E and History at A+E Networks. Buccieri, who had been chairman of ITV Studios U.S. Group and ITV Studios Global Entertainment, will report to CEO Nancy Duboc and supervise A&E general manager David McKillop and History general manager Dirk Hoogstra.
The discussion leaders have been announced for Women in Cable & Telecommunications’ 2014 Betsy Magness Graduate Institute (BMGI) on Nov. 6-7 in Baltimore. They include executives from NBCUniversal, Viacom, Time Warner Cable, ABC Family, Cablevision, AMC and Discovery.
Evan Shapiro is departing Pivot, according to the cable network, to pursue other opportunities. Taking his place will be Kent Rees, the new president and general manager. Previously the executive VP of marketing, scheduling and operations, Rees will report to Jim Berk, CEO of parent company Participant Media.
As a result of digital consulting firm Omnigon’s acquisition of Russian-based mobile development firm Touch Instinct, the latter’s CEO Andrey Baskov will relocate to New York to serve as Omnigon’s new Mobile CTO. Additionally, Manish Dayal has been elevated to managing director, Omnigon Los Angeles.
Camera, grip and lighting equipment provider ARRI Rental announced on Nov. 3 that Ed Stamm will be responsible for the company’s new office in Atlanta. Craig Chartier will fill Stamm’s former role as general manager of ARRI Rental Miami. Stamm will make the company’s equipment inventory is available to the community.
Ross Video announced that Brian Baldry has retired from its board of directors. Baldry was previously senior director of engineering for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In addition, Lorraine Mastersmith, a partner at Perley-Robertson Hill & McDougal LLP in Ottawa, Canada, has joined the board as corporate secretary.
Scott Henry has been tapped as executive VP and chief technology officer of the Madison Square Garden Co., effective immediately. The former executive VP and chief information officer at Nielsen Audio will join MSG’s executive team looking to contribute to the company’s strategic vision via software development, engineering and technology.
NBC Owned Television Stations is strengthening its social media push, as the NBCUniversal division announced Nov. 3 the promotion of Sarah Glover to social media editor. Previously the social media editor for NBC10 Philadelphia/WCAU, Glover will be tasked with increasing and engaging social media audiences.
Samuel T. Suratt, CBS News’ archivist, died of pancreatic cancer on Oct. 27. He was 81. A veteran of CBS News since 1969, Suratt helped spearhead its information resources to the computer age and make CBS News Archives the information resource center for CBS News and other CBS divisions.
Hawthorne Direct CEO Jessica Hawthorne-Castro has elevated three staff members to new strategic and analytic roles at the full-service brand response ad agency. Sheryl Bergren is now senior media strategist/analyst, Lacey Asplund is business science analyst and Amber Papp is media strategist/analyst.
Dan Riess has been upped to executive VP of integrated marketing and branded content for Turner Broadcasting’s ad sales division. A 15-year veteran of Turner, Riess will supervise branded marketing partnerships in the domestic sphere. He will report to ad sales president Donna Speciale.
A+E Networks chairman Abbe Raven announced plans to retired from her post on Feb. 2. Raven, who has been with the company for 33 years, passed on her title of CEO last year to Nancy Duboc. A+E Networks owns cable channels A&E, History and Lifetime, making Raven one of the most prominent and respected women in the industry.
Longtime FCC veteran Joel Kaufman died Oct. 29. He was 53. Kaufman, who spent more than two decades with the FCC, had been associate general counsel and chief of the administrative law division since 2005. A graduate of Providence College and Duke Law School, Kaufman joined the FCC from Cadwalader, Wickersham, and Taft.
ESPN’s daily morning lifestyle and news program Morning Drive has added Tom Engle as coordinating producer, announced Golf Channel executive producer Molly Solomon on Oct. 30. Engle won six Emmy Awards at ESPN, where he most recently produced the football and basketball College GameDay franchises.
Turner Broadcasting System’s Ad Sales division has a new senior VP, ad operations and chief data strategist in Stephano Kim. The New York-based Kim will report to Turner Sports president Lenny Daniels. Using data insights, Kim will look to secure consumers with branded content.
Yahoo has named Lisa Utzschneider as senior VP, sales, Americas, the company announced Oct. 30. Reporting to CEO Marissa Mayer, Utzschneider will be in charge of Yahoo’s advertising businesses across the Americas. Additionally, Ned Brody will take on the new role of senior VP, advertising technology and strategy.
Microsoft has finished closing down Xbox Entertainment Studios, as company-wide layoffs on Oct. 29 included president Nancy Tellem and executive VP Jordan Levin. Microsoft had announced back in July it would shutter the studios as part of a larger layoff of more than 18,000 employees.
The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and National Cable & Telecommunications Association's joint scholarship has been awarded to USC’s Amelia Giller and Columbia’s Saman Malik. The group felt “compelled” to give out the $3,500 scholarship to two people since there were so many remarkable submissions.
Bravo Media announced on Oct. 29 that Jonathan Hills will be its next VP, digital media. Formerly the VP, operations, at NBC News digital, Hills will be instrumental in audience engagement strategy and tasked with expanding Bravo’s digital business through consumer-appealing products and experiences.
BBC Worldwide North America has increased Nick Ascheim’s job as senior VP consumer digital to encompass managing the digital advertising sales team, effective immediately. In addition, Shaun Hekking has been named VP, U.S. advertising sales, BBC digital, and will co-manage the team with KJ Shockey.
Twentieth Television has appointed Debbie Reichig to senior VP, media sales research and insights, effective Nov. 10. Michael Teicher, executive VP, media sales, made the announcement on Oct. 29. Reichig, previously chief revenue officer of PrecisionDemand, will supervise the department and help with sales strategy.
EWTN Global Catholic Network announced Oct. 29 that it had selected Patricia Connolly to be its new VP of human resources. A 20-year human resources professional, who began her career with Kraft Foods, Connolly has extensive experience with talent management, employee engagement and talent acquisition.
