Anthem Sports & Entertainment said it hired cable music veteran Andy Schuon as president of its TV networks AXS TV and HDNet Movies.

Shuon had been president of Revolt Media and has managed music brands including CBS Radio, Warner Bros. Records, Universal Music Group, Live Nation and Viacom’s MTV networks.

“Andy Schuon is a true trailblazer in this industry, and a driving force behind many definitive pop culture landmarks that have left an indelible impact throughout the world,” said Leonard Asper, President & CEO of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. “His reputation as a legendary brand builder is well-earned, and his breadth of expertise will be vital in ushering in an important era for both AXS TV and HDNet Movies.”

In his new post. Schuon will use his experience starting and running cable networks to unlock the growth potential of AXS TV and HD Net, the company said.

The networks had been overseen by Anthony Cicione, who remains president of entertainment at Anthem. Earlier this month, Cicione was named president of TNA Wrestling.

At CBS Radio, Schuon oversaw the execution of the biggest single-client advertising deal in radio history, and spearheaded content and audience strategy for CBS Radio’s network of 185 stations across major markets.  

As executive VP, head of programming & production for MTV, MTV2, and VH1, he executive produced the  VMAs, MTV Movie Awards, and created the first celebrity reality show Rodman World Tour. 

In a programming stunt, Schuon moved MTV out of Times Square and into a summer rental, the MTV Beach House. The franchise lifted ratings for the entire network and created extraordinary revenue every summer. through integrated marketing opportunities and sponsorships.

“Len Asper and I have been talking about the opportunity to leverage the reach of AXS TV and HDNet Movies for some time. I was thrilled when he asked me to lead these networks, and take them to new heights and new platforms” Schuon said. “Connecting content, especially music related programming, with audiences has been my life’s work. At a time when music moves at the speed of social media, we are uniquely qualified to be the voice of record in the video presentation of music across all platforms.”

Anthem Sports and Entertainment founder and CEO Len Asper found himself in a bit of a firestorm Wednesday. The day after he signed what is so far the biggest deal yet for his fledgling sports and music company -- the purchase of a majority stake in AXS TV and HDNet Movies-- reports spread quickly claiming the deal gutted the acquired companies' employee ranks, a contention the Anthem chief denies.

After news of the deal broke, there was a smattering of talk that as many as 40 people at AXS would lose their jobs as a result, a number that tended to escalate as more people got into the mix. According to some articles, the actual number of AXS employees without jobs could be as high as 80, when contract employees and freelancers were counted.

Asper confirmed the 40 layoffs in an interview, but added that it included contract and freelance workers. He estimated that AXS had between 130 and 140 employees before the deal closed, and now has about 100. Combined, he said Anthem and AXS currently have about 210 employees and that there are no further layoffs planned.

Asper added that most of the layoffs were in positions that were duplicated at Anthem and that the bulk occurred in Denver. At its Los Angeles location, four employees were let go, while eight still remain. He added that the layoffs represented less than 20% of the workforce.

Anthem held Town Hall meetings with employees in Los Angeles and Denver to explain the workforce reductions, Asper said. 

“We were very clear with the staff. We spoke to the staff yesterday,” Asper said. “We did it all at once.”

It was expected that employees that were terminated received substantial severance packages from AXS.

Asper also disputed reports that AXS TV closed its Dallas office -- he claimed that prior to the deal closing AXS had about a dozen workers in the Dallas area that were working from home or occupying space at a facility owned by AXS founder Mark Cuban in the city. But he declined to say how many remain.

“Some are staying and some are not,” Asper said.

In an email message, Cuban declined to comment. But other sources familiar with AXS said that the financial blow to many employees was likely lightened by bonuses Cuban issued company-wide in the summer. Those sources said the bonuses amounted to more than $5 million in total. While it couldn’t be determined if every employee received a bonus, sources said that most did. And though the payouts were likely based on each employee’s base salary and probably varied widely, at $5 million, each one of AXS TV’s 140 employees would have received an average bonus of $35,714.