BET
BET has elevated Keith Lawson to senior VP of brand solutions.
He will lead brand solutions efforts, as well as the network’s advertising sales production teams to support ideation efforts and project management.
BET
Tavia Pitts was elevated to senior VP of ad sales at BET. She will continue to manage some of the ViacomCBS-owned programmer’s key clients while handling advertising sales responsibilities for the BET Her and BET Live platforms.
CHARTER
Jodi Robinson was promoted to executive VP, digital platforms at Charter Communications. She joined Charter as a senior VP in 2014, overseeing the user experience design and development and digital platforms organizations.
CHARTER
Charter Communications upped Jake Perlman to executive VP, software development & IT. He joined Charter as senior VP of video and shared software services in 2016, adding video engineering, voice engineering, lab infrastructure and deployment support in 2019.
CROWN MEDIA
Megan Barbe has joined Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks as
VP, consumer insights, based in Los Angeles. She comes from Freeform, where she had worked as the network’s VP, research and consumer insights.
CROWN MEDIA
Crown Media Family Networks has hired Courtney Huber as VP, distribution partnership marketing, based in New York. She comes from factual over-the-top service CuriosityStream, where she was VP, international partner marketing.
DISCOVERY
Discovery has elevated Jason Sarlanis to president, crime and investigative content, linear and streaming, assuming the leadership of ID: Investigation Discovery from the retiring Henry Schleiff. He had been senior VP, development, at TLC.
EWTN
Catholic-focused network EWTN has named Shannon Mullen as editor-in-chief of the Catholic News Agency. A 33-year journalist, he served as an investigative reporter, enterprise editor and premium content coach over 10 years with Gannett.
KARE
Tegna-owned NBC affiliate KARE Minneapolis-St. Paul has named Reggie Wilson as its sports director, appearing on 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts. He comes from WCPO Cincinnati, where he hosted the sports talk show Sports of All Sorts.
MSG NETWORKS
MSG Networks in New York has hired Talaya Wilkins as VP of content strategy. The former ESPN producer will focus on developing programming targeted at the expanding sports betting audience and lead the growing MSG Networks content team.
NEWSY
E.W. Scripps has hired Eric Ludgood as head of multiplatform news network Newsy, based in Atlanta. Most recently the assistant news director at Fox-owned station WAGA Atlanta, he spent 13 years at CNN International, including as VP for editorial.
NEXSTAR
Lee Ann Gliha has joined Nexstar Broadcast Group as executive VP and chief financial officer. She comes from investment bank Jeffries LLC, where she was managing director overseeing more than $90 billion in tech, media and telecommunications transactions.
SAMBA TV
Kris Magel has joined omniscreen advertising and analytics provider Samba TV as VP and head of agency development. He comes from advertising agency Dentsu, where he was president of media clients, responsible for building cross-media solutions.
TVU NETWORKS
Douglas Russell has joined cloud and IP-based video solutions provider TVU Networks as Northwest Regional Accounts Manager, North America Sales. He has held senior-level engineering posts at Amazon Prime Sports, Keycode Media and Raytheon.
WEIGEL
Donna D’Alessandro has joined Weigel Broadcasting as executive VP, head of content, involved in programming its suite of digital broadcast networks. She comes from Discovery, where she was VP, factual programming for Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Science Channel.
WHAS
Tegna has named Lisa Columbia as president and general manager of ABC affiliate WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky. She rejoins the station from ABC affiliate WTVQ Lexington, Kentucky, where she was general and local sales manager.
WILKINSON BAKER KNAUER
KC Becker has joined Wilkinson Barker Knauer in Denver as a partner specializing in communications, energy and environment. A former Colorado state representative, she is the first woman to serve as Colorado’s Speaker of the House.
WTKR
Adam Chase was named VP and general manager of WTKR, the E.W. Scripps-owned CBS affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia. He had been VP and general manager of Scripps-owned ABC station KXXV in Waco, Texas, and independent station KRHD in Bryan, Texas.
BRIEFLY NOTED
Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group has hired Jocelyn Langevine as VP of advertising sales and client partnerships for theGrio. Langevine most recently was senior director of integrated marketing at ViacomCBS. … Crown Media Family Networks elevated Marc Lindenman to senior director, distribution. He had worked in the partner marketing unit. … Advertising tech firm Targetspot has named Laurence Henuzet as operations director. … Jennifer Lyons has joined CBS-owned WBBM Chicago as president and general manager. The longtime news director at WGN Chicago was most recently VP of news at Nexstar Broadcast Group-owned cable network NewsNation. … Bob Ellis was named VP and general manager of Graham Media Group-owned WDIV Detroit. He was VP and GM of WJXT Jacksonville, Florida, with responsibility for WCWJ.
