Here is a compilation of the latest executive moves in the industry.
WGN America and Tribune Studios named on Aug. 27 Tom Huffman as the company’s senior VP of unscripted programming. Huffman, who will start at the company in October, previously worked for VH1 as VP of development and production.
The National Association of Broadcasters announced on Aug. 27 that Valerie Schulte will retire from her post as NAB deputy general counsel. Schulte’s last day with the organization is Aug. 30. She has been with NAB since 1980. Ann Marie Cumming was promoted last week to senior VP of communications and Shermaze Ingram was upped to senior VP of marketing and creative services. Cumming will report to executive VP Dennis Wharton while Ingram will report to Michelle Lehman, executive VP of marketing.
Robert Gottlieb has been promoted to executive VP, marketing at Fox Sports, Fox Sports Copresidents and COOs Randy Freer and Eric Shanks announced Aug. 27. Gottlieb, who previously served as Fox Sports senior VP and head of marketing, will now be in charge of all of Fox Sports on-air, off-air and consumer marketing efforts. He joined the network in 2004 as VP, creative director of on-air promotions for Fox Sports and FSN.
David Ford was named VP of corporate communications at Fusion. Ford most recently supervised media relations for ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer.
CBS News correspondent Bruce Dunning died on Aug. 26 at the age of 73. Dunning, who reported The Last Flight form Da Nang, died at New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital from injuries he incurred during a fall.
Matthew Anderson was named on Aug. 26 Roku’s first CMO where he will oversee global marketing and communications. Anderson previously served as a strategic advisor to the company.
Mike Devlin will replace David Boylan as ABC affiliates board chairman, it was announced on Aug. 26. Devlin is president and general manager of Belo’s WFAA Dallas. Boylan announced on Aug. 23 that he was stepping down from his ABC affiliates board position along with his job as general manager at WPLG Miami. The longtime local television GM is moving to a board position at an unnamed industry company. Devlin currently serves a VP on the affiliates board.
Noah Pollack was named senior VP of programming and development at E!, the network announced on Aug. 26.Pollack, who will officially start at the network in the fall, previously served as VP of reality programming for Lifetime Networks.
Robert Scanlon was upped to general manager of Velocity, the company announced on Aug. 26.In his new role, Scanlon will continue to report to Marjorie Kaplan, the group president of Animal Planet, Science Channel and Velocity. He had previously served as Velocity’s senior VP.
Amy Winter resigns as general manager of TLC, the company confirmed on Aug. 26. Winter will transition to executive VP of brand marketing at the network. Deadline first reported she was planning to step down after a failed attempt to move her family from Atlanta to Discovery Communications’ headquarters in Silver Springs, Md. Her replacement has yet to be named.
Julie Pruett was named VP and regional manager of Nexstar Broadcasting’s west region markets, the company announced on Aug. 26. Pruett, who had worked for Nexstar’s KFDX Wichita Falls (TX)-Lawton (OK) as VP and general manager, will supervise strategic planning and development across Nexstar’s Louisiana, Missouri and Texas stations. KFDX Director of Sales Wayne Reed will succeed Pruett as VP and general manager.
Ed Chapuis will join Fox affiliate KTXL Sacramento as VP/news director, the Tribune station announced on Aug. 26. Chapuis was previously the news director at KTVU Oakland.
Nancy Dubuc, president and CEO of A + E Networks, will serve as honorary co-chair for the 27th Annual NAMIC Conference, the organization announced on Aug. 26. The event will take place Oct. 8-9.
Yangaroo named Sarah Foss president of advertising division, the media management company announced on Aug. 22. Foss previously served as executive VP, sales and client services, at Encompass Digital Media and CEO at VCI Solutions, which was acquired by Wide Orbit. In her new role, she will oversee Yangaroo’s advertising strategy and growth, working out of the company’s New York City office.
Jill King has been tapped to return to Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media Group (AYAKM), the company announced on Aug. 22. After spending nearly two years as an independent consultant, King will join AYAKM in the newly created role of senior VP, sponsorship group for AYAKM. King will report to Brenda Piper, CMO for AYAKM, and will oversee strategic partnerships, event and trade marketing.
Achuth Rao was named director of product management for Matrix Solutions, the company announced on Aug. 22. Rao comes to Matrix from Campus Management where he served as director of product management and marketing for the CRM software portfolio.
E! Network on Aug. 21 announced several programming and development appointments. Blythe Asher, who joined E! in 2009 from MTV, was promoted to senior VP of talent development and casting. Damla Dogan, who came to E! in 2007 from Vh1, will serve as senior VP of programming and development. Leela Pon, who has managed late night talker Chelsea Lately and began working at E! in 2007, was named VP of programming and development. Kevin Plunkett, who joined E! in 2011 from ABC Entertainment, will work as senior VP of scripted programming. Missy Fox, who came to E! in 2008 and has worked on The Soup and Fashion Police, was upped to director of programming and development. Julie St. Aubin, who started at E! in 2009 and has worked on all Kardashian franchises, was promoted to manager of programming and development. Both Fox and St. Aubin will report to Dogan.
Jason Henry will join The Company as senior VP of unscripted development, the production house announced on Aug. 21. Henry comes to The Company from Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Films and Ryan Seacrest Productions.
Disney/ABC Television Group announced on Aug. 21 that it will lay off nearly 175 employees in a bid move resources digitally. The layoffs, which represent roughly 2% of ABC/Disney’s total workforce, will take place over the next few weeks, mainly affecting operations and the owned station group.
Brittany Bell will join WAPT Jackson as meteorologist, the station announced on Aug. 21. Bell will serve as the weekend evening meteorologist. She previously worked for KHBS/KHOG in Ft. Smith/Rogers Arkansas.
Eric Schrader will serve as president and general manager of LIN station KSNW Wichita (Kan.), the station announced on Aug. 21. Schrader previously worked for KSNW’s sister station WTNH-WCTX Hartford-New Haven (Conn.) as news director. Al Carl, managing editor at WTNH-WCTX, will replace Schrader as news director at the ABC affiliate station.
Paul Rennie has been named VP and general manager of WTTV-WXIN Indianapolis, the Tribune owned Fox-CW pair announced on Aug. 21. Rennie, who will start at the duopoly immediately and report to Tribune president of broadcast media Larry Wert, had served as general sales manager at Tribuen’s Seattle holding, KCPQ-KZJO. Larry Delia stepped down from the WTTV-WXIN helm in June to run WTHR Indianapolis.
Michelle Donaldson will take the news director reigns at KOB-TV Albuquerque, the station Announced on Aug. 21. Donaldson, who will start at the NBC affiliate on Sept. 9, previously served as KPHO Phoenix news director.
Bob Valinski was named on Aug. 21 the Eastern U.S. and Canada sales manager at Orad. Bob has most recently worked on the manufacturing of equipment such as video servers, automation and workflows.
