PROGRAMMING

Dennis Patton, senior VP, strategic planning and business development, Rainbow Programming Holdings, Woodbury, N.Y., joins National Geographic Channel, Washington, as executive VP, marketing and new media.

Appointments at Comedy Central, New York: Karyn Karmin, director of traffic, named VP, sales operation; Genise Jackson, associate counsel, legal and business affairs, named senior counsel.

Appointments at CNN, Atlanta: Joe A. Diament, VP, sales, Atlanta, named senior VP; Lucy Spiegel, senior executive producer, Washington, named VP.

Deborah Stewart, director, programming operation, Discovery Digital Networks, Bethesda, Md., named VP, programming.

Appointments at Showtime Networks Inc., New York: Peter Keramidas, senior VP, programming, named senior VP, programming and new-media content, New York and Los Angeles; Marica Chacona, director, program scheduling, named VP, program scheduling.

Stuart Rosenstein, director, Nickelodeon Reaction, New York, named VP, Nickelodeon Theatricals, New York.

Robert J. Evanko, president and co-founder, NewMedium Communications, Dallas, joins FOX Cable Networks, Dallas, as regional VP, Southwest region.

Connie Valvano, director, special events, FOX Family Worldwide, Virginia Beach, Va., named VP, special events.

Clifford Ejikeme, director, financial planning and analysis, Viacom Inc., New York, named VP, financial planning, Lifetime Television, New York.

Lisa Richardson, director, trade marketing, Cartoon Network, Atlanta, named VP, marketing, Turner Network Sales, Atlanta.

LaVada Heath, local sales manager, kttv Los Angeles, named VP and general sales manager ofFox Sports Net West/West 2, Los Angeles.

Paul Capelli, senior public relations manager, Amazon.com, Seattle, joins CNBC as VP, public relations, Fort Lee, N.J.

Patrick Parish, manager, Southwestern sales, Warner Bros. Domestic Distribution, Dallas, joins Telepictures Distribution, Dallas as director Southwestern sales.

Jason Brown, media headquarters assistant, NHL Atlanta Thrashers, Atlanta, joins FOX Sports Net South, Atlanta as public relations assistant.