PBS made two announcements on Sept. 9. Steve McGowan, who had been consulting with PBS for the last year, was named VP, research, while Ann Brown, a PBS Company and Time Warner Cable senior executive, was appointed VP, sponsorship sales. McGowan began last month; Brown started on Aug. 25.
One Media LLC has chosen Jerald Fritz as executive VP for strategic and legal affairs. Fritz was a long-time senior VP for legal and strategic affairs for Allbritton Communications. One Media, a coventure between Sinclair and Coherent Logix, was started to build a next-generation broadcast platform to help TV stations compete in a mobile broadband video world.
Running back Ray Rice was cut by the Baltimore Ravens Sept. 8 and suspended indefinitely by the NFL after TMZ Sports released a video of him hitting his then-fiance (now wife) Janay Palmer in February. He was previously suspended two games for the incident, but that punishment was changed with the release of the video.
Sesame Workshop announced that Jeffrey Dunn will be its new president and CEO. Dunn, formerly the COO of Nickelodeon Networks and president of Hit Entertainment, takes over for the retiring Mel Ming at the nonprofit educational organization and producer of Sesame Street.
Studio 20th Century Fox Television has elevated Chris Alexander to executive VP of corporate communications and publicity. Alexander, formerly a senior VP, supervises corporate communications, publicity, events, talent relations and award campaigns. He is also serves as a liaison with industry press.
The Fox duoply in New York has added the title of VP of creative services and public affairs to Dan Carlin’s existing position as VP of programming and research. Carlin reports to Lew Leone, WNYW and WWOR VP and general manager, who made the announcement on Sept. 8.
Craig Ferguson has a successor as host of The Late Late Show: James Corden. The English-born Corden, 36, a Tony Award-winning actor and fixture of UK TV, will take over the CBS late night show sometime in 2015. Corden also stars, produces and writers for the BBC comedy The Wrong Mans.
CNN International has made some big executive changes. Deborah Rayner will serve as senior VP of international newsgathering, TV and digital, and Ellana Lee will be the new senior VP and managing editor of CNN International. Mike McCarthy is senior VP and general manager of CNN International, while Tommy Evans has been upped to VP and London bureau chief.
Wiley Rein has added former FCC commissioner Rob McDowell as a partner in its communications practice to specialize in "domestic and international matters in the telecommunications, media, technology, and digital media industries." McDowell was nominated initially by President George W. Bush and to a second term by President Obama.
The full list of winners for the 4th Annual Streamy Awards Presented by Coca-Cola were announced by dick clark productions and Tubefilter. Tyler Oakley won for Entertainer of the Year, Smosh Games for Best Gaming Channel and EnchufeTV for Show of the Year. The Best News and Current Events Show was SourceFed, while Best Comedy Series was My Drunk Kitchen.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, the star of SundanceTV’s The Honorable Woman, will deliver remarks at the Women in Cable Telecommunications Luncheon on Monday, Sept. 15. Network president Sarah Barnett is the honorary chair of the luncheon, which is the highlight of the WICT Leadership Conference at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.
Bruce Morton, the long-time political correspondent for CBS and CNN, died of cancer Sept. 5 at his Washington home. He was 83. Morton covered the Vietnam War and the space program with CBS News, where he won six Emmys. After 29 years at CBS, Morton served as a political correspondent for CNN from 1993 to 2006.
Bravo Media has promoted Shari Levine to executive VP of current production, Bravo. The announcement was made Sept. 4 by Jerry Leo, executive VP, program strategy, Bravo and Oxygen Media, and Production Bravo Media. Levine, formerly the senior VP of current production, will continue to supervise the network’s portfolio of original programming.
Legendary comedienne Joan Rivers died on Sept. 4 after going into cardiac arrest during throat surgery the previous week. She was 81. Rivers, a host for E!’s Fashion Police, was the first female to break into late night television when she guest hosted The Tonight Show in the 1980s. Rivers had reportedly been on life support since being admitted to Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital on Aug. 28.
DreamWorks Studios has tapped Michael Wright as its new CEO. Wright, the outgoing president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, will oversee DreamWorks’ feature film business in his new position starting in January. Justin Falvey and Daryl Frank will continue to run the studio’s TV operations, Amblin Television.
The White House announced Sept. 4 that Megan Smith will be the next U.S. chief technology officer, and Alexander Macgillivray her deputy. Smith, who is taking over for Todd Park, will lead the Obama Administration’s information-technology policy and initiatives as the country’s third-ever CTO.
Honorees for the 37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors have been announced. They are singer Al Green, actor Tom Hanks, ballerina Patricia McBride, musician Sting and comedian Lily Tomlin. The ceremony, which recognized the honorees lifetime achievements and contributions to American culture through performing arts, will air Dec. 30 on CBS.
Robin Sproul is moving to a new role at ABC News, VP of public affairs in Washington, where she will be a liaison between the news division and the government, journalists and parent company Walt Disney’s government relations office. Jonathan Greenberg will take her place as VP and Washington bureau chief. Both will retain their roles with This Week.
Fox International Channels (FIC) is starting a new content sales division for scripted and unscripted programs. Headed by Simon Thomas, executive VP of global sports and content sales, the division will be in charge of content from FIC’s Fox, National Geographic Channels, Fox Sports and FoxLife.
ChyronHego has made Diomelly Moreno regional sales manager and product specialist, Latin America, the company announced Sept. 3. It also has signed a channel partnership deal with technology reseller CIS Group. Moreno was previously the designer and supervisor of real-time graphics at Panama City’s TVN.
KTRK Houston has appointed Wendy Granato as VP of news and digital content. Granato had spent the past 12 years at the ABC-owned station as executive news producer of special projects. Before that, Granato executive produced the KTRK weekday morning program The Deborah Duncan Show.
MarVista Entertainment has added two new directors to its sales team. They are Rod Rodrigo, previously the sales director for IMC Vision Ltd. in the UK, and Andrew Whiteman, formerly of Power Media Entertainment Limited. Each will be director of distribution and work out of London.
CBS Local Media has designated John Vilade as VP, national digital sales, announced COO Anton Guitano on Sept. 3. Vilade, who starts immediately, will oversee sales development and strategy for CBS’ digital assets in conjunction with its TV and radio stations.
WNET has selected Andy Halper to serve as director of content distribution. Halper, previously the senior director of news and public affairs for PBS, will help find distribution and production opportunities for programming within WNET, the parent company of New York’s public TV stations Thirteen and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV.
Stephanie Eno will supervise the creative development partnership between Gannett Broadcasting and Debmar-Mercury as VP, development. The announcement came Sept. 3 from Dave Lougee, president of Gannett Broadcasting, and Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of Debmar-Mercury.
Bravo Media announced Sept. 3 that Matt Reichman has been upped to VP of current production. Reichman, who started at Bravo in 2012 as director of current production, is the executive behind the production of the Emmy-winning Top Chef franchise and the Emmy-nominated show Flipping Out.
Eutelsat Communications has appointed Aymeric Genty as CEO of its Miami subsidiary Alterna’TV. Aymeric will oversee Alterna’TV’s plan to expand its distribution platform to include more international content in U.S. and Latin American markets.
NABPAC, the political action committee broadcasters user to support federal candidates, has named Marci Burdick as a trustee. Burdick, the senior VP of broadcasting for Schurz Communications, is currently vice chair of the CBS Affiliates board and a past chair of the NAB TV board and NBC Affiliates Association.
J. Peter Ban is moving from HBO to Simulmedia. Ban, the senior VP and general manager of domestic network distribution at HBO since 2010, will serve as senior VP of business operations at Simulmedia. His role will be to guide the targeted advertising firm’s ops teams and help fuel its overall growth strategy.
Jack Wayman, a pioneer in the consumer electronics association (CEA), died Aug. 30, according to CEA president Gary Shapiro. Wayman was 92. A CEA executive, Wayman supervised the initial Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and established the International CES.
ABC News in New York has added Tom Llamas as an anchor and correspondent, according to a memo from ABC News president James Goldstone. Llamas had been co-anchor of WNBC New York’s 5 p.m. telecast and a contributing correspondent for NBC News. He was formerly a reporter for WTVJ Miami.
