Amazon.com said it has named former MTV Networks chairman and CEO Judy McGrath to its board of directors, a move that could help boost the online retailer’s Internet video offerings.
McGrath was one of the architects of the youth-oriented network, joining MTV in 1981 as a copywriter after a stint at Conde Nast and rising to president in 1994. She became chairman and CEO of MTV Networks – which includes MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, Comedy Central, TV Land, CMT and Spike – in 2004 replacing her mentor Tom Freston after he was promoted to co-chief operating officer of MTV’s parent, Viacom. McGrath stepped down in May 2011. Freston resigned in 2006.
Most recently, McGrath has served as president of Astronauts Wanted * No Experience Necessary, a partnership with Sony Music Entertainment that develops multimedia content for millennials, since 2013.
Article continues belowAmazon said it has also appointed McGrath to the board’s Leadership Development and Compensation Committee, effective Oct. 1 and has granted her a restricted stock unit award of about 2,520 shares, vesting in three installments beginning on Aug, 15, 2015.
McGrath’s experience in the television business is expected to be a boost to Amazon’s fledgling subscription video service, which offers members access to thousands of hours of movies and television episodes and earlier this year reached a deal to stream HBO content. Through its Amazon Studios, the online giant is producing its own original content like Alpha House, a comedy starring John Goodman; Betas, a Silicon Valley based comedy; and two kids’ series – Tumble Leaf and Annedroids.
