Below is a compilation of the latest moves in the industry.
Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming have been named as hosts of the 2015 Tony Awards. They are both Tony Award winners. The 69th annual ceremony will air live on CBS from New York’s Radio City Music Hall on June 7. Nominations were announced on CBS This Morning April 28.
The Weather Company has added former Dish Network executive Dave Shull as group president, The Weather Channel Television. Shull, who starts May 4, will lead a new unit supervising programming, distribution, broadcast operations, video technology and addressable TV advertising platforms.
Sharoan R. Harris has been upped to senior VP of pricing and planning at Fuse Media, Inc., the parent company of Fuse and NUVOtv networks. Harris, who had been VP of pricing and planning, will supervise commercial operations as well as sales planning and analysis at Fuse Media’s New York headquarters.
The 2015 DiversityInc list of top 50 companies, which was measured by talent, development, leadership commitment and supplier diversity, included Comcast and Cox. AT&T finished with several top performances. Cox came in at 17, one better than last year, while Comcast/NBCU improved from 44 to 30.
L-S-B has named Jarle Felin as its representative for the Nordic and Baltic countries. Felin, based in Oslo, has more than 30 years of experience in the broadcast business. Felin gives the German manufacturer of control systems for radio and TV production a direct contact person on site for the region’s customer base.
Reality production company A. Smith & Co. Productions has elevated Jonathan Goldberg to VP of post-production. Goldberg, who joined A. Smith & Co. in 2009 after working at 3 Ball Productions, 44 Blue Productions and ABC Studios, will supervise post production of the company’s entire slate of programming.
FremantleMedia North America CEO Thom Beers is stepping down when his contract expires this summer. Replacing him as coCEOs will be Jennifer Mullin, executive VP, current programming, and Craig Cegielski, executive VP, scripted programming. The pair will report to FremantleMedia CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz.
Amy Waldman, who had been WPIX New York’s acting news director, will serve in the position permanently. Waldman joined the station in 2007 as a senior producer, moving up to a.m. news executive producer, director of special projects and eventually senior executive producer at the CW-aligned Tribune station.
At the 42nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, the Outstanding Drama Series award was split between NBC’sDays of Our Lives and CBS’ The Young and the Restless. Anthony Geary of General Hospital won for outstanding lead actor in a drama, his eighth daytime Emmy. General Hospital’s Maura West was honored as outstanding lead actress in a drama.
Fusion announced a number of promotions and hirings on April 24. Alexis Madrigal has been tapped as editor in chief of Fusion, reporting to Daniel Eilemberg, senior VP and chief digital officer. Hillary Frey and Anna Holmes were upped to executive editor and editorial director, respectively. Jane Spencer was elevated to senior VP of emerging platforms.
Jamie Horowitz is returning to the sports world as president of Fox Sports National Networks following his short stint with NBC’s Today show. As head of both Fox Sports 1 and 2, Horowitz will oversee all of their programming, marketing and scheduling. In addition, John Entz has been elevated to president of production for Fox Sports, while David Nathanson, who had previously run FS1 and FS2, will head business operations.
KSAS-KMTW Wichita general sales manager Chuck Reid has been appointed general manager at KSAS. Reid, who was VP and general manager of advertising sales for Cox Media from 2001 to 2007, will have oversight of MyNetworkTV affiliate KMTW, which is programmed by Sinclair.
FCC Wireline Competition Bureau chief Julie Veach is leaving the agency May 22, with deputy chief Matt DelNero set to succeed her. CBG acting chief Kris Monteith will take over for DelNero, while VISA senior VP Alison Kutler will serve as acting chief of CBG and special advisor to the chairman for digital opportunity.
The Peabody Award winners in the documentary, education, children’s programming and public service categories were announced April 23. Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time and Fox’s Cosmos were among the winners, as was a pair of HBO documentaries. PBS also snagged three documentary wins.
VSN has upped Mario Díaz Becar to sales director, leading the whole sales team including the regional offices. Díaz Becar spent the last nine years as VSN’s sales manager for Latin America. Filling that role will be Roberto Duif, who has been working out of Barcelona as channel manager for Western and Eastern Europe.
Clear-Com has named Ann Williams director of sales Asia Pacific, effective immediately. Williams, who had been VP of sales, Asia Pacific, at encoding solutions provider Envivio, will supervise markets in China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand in addition to the Southeast Asia region.
WHO-HD announced that Channel 13 News’ Andy Fales will coanchor No. 1 morning newscast Today in Iowa starting May 18. Taking Fales’ place on Channel 13 News at 4 will be Dan Winters, who has been anchoring the 6 and 10 p.m. news since November 2012.
CBS Newspath, CBS’ 24-hour TV newsgathering service for its stations and broadcasters worldwide, has hired Jonathan Vigliotti as a correspondent. Vigliotti, who had been an investigative and general assignment reporter at WNBC-TV in New York City since 2011, will be based in London and begin May 11.
Ariff Sidi, the Emmy-winning digital executive, has joined Fox as senior VP, digital products and platforms. Sidi, who founded two different L.A.-based media and technology startups, is responsible for establishing programs and products that increase Fox programming’s performance across non-linear platforms and viewer interaction.
One Solution announced April 23 the hiring of Tuwisha Rogers as VP of brand leadership. Rogers, who owns consulting firm Wish Factor Consulting, will supervise the newly created brand leadership team of the cross-platform sales and integrated marketing division of Radio One, Inc.
WISH-WNDY Indianapolis has appointed Elbert Tucker as news director. Tucker, who had been news director for WBNS Columbus, takes over for Steve Bray at WISH, where Tucker will rejoin president and general manager Les Vann; the pair worked together at WKRC Cincinnati.
NECN, the largest regional news network in the nation, announced changes to its anchor lineup. Latoyia Edwards, previously the evening anchor, is moving to mornings, to be paired with coanchor Brian Shactman and chief meteorologist Matt Noyes. NECN is also launching an investigative unit, featuring reporter Ally Donnelly, and a consumer unit, featuring anchor/reporter Leslie Gaydos.
Interlude has welcomed Nancy Tellem to the company as executive chairman and chief media officer. Tellem joins the interactive video producer from Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studios, where she served as corporate VP and president. She was previously also president of the CBS Network Television Group.
John Aylward has joined multichannel retailer HSN, Inc. as executive VP and chief marketing officer. The retail industry veteran has previously served in senior marketing leadership roles at DSW, Starbucks, The Gap, Inc. and Sony Corporation. Aylward will oversee integrated omni-channel marketing and creative at HSN.
Steve Byrnes, the motor-sports broadcaster and cohost of Fox Sports 1’s daily NASCAR Race Hub, died April 21 after a long battle with cancer. He was 56. Byrnes, a Maryland native who began his career as a weekend sports producer for WJLA in Washington, D.C., spent more than 30 years in the TV business.
