Here’s today’s snapshot of media moves from B&C and around the Web:
Veteran producer Robert Morton is the new EP on TBS’ Lopez Tonight, reported B&C’s Ben Grossman exclusively. Mike Gibbons will depart as EP, while longtime Warner Bros. and Telepics exec Jim Paratore remains on board but backs off of day-to-day production.
Gary Traver, SVP/COO at Comcast Media Center, has departed the company, reports B&C sister pub Multichannel News. Traver had been with CMC since Comcast acquired it from AT&T in 2002 and was named COO in 2003. CMC, based in Denver, provides centralized content management and distribution solutions for cable systems, television networks and other video content providers and for advertisers.
Kim Hatamiya has been promoted to EVP at Sony Pictures Television, overseeing advertising, marketing, promotion and media and client relations for SPT both domestically and internationally in both broadcast and cable.
Solly Granatstein, producer of CBS News’ 60 Minutes, is departing after 12 years to become an investigative producer at Dateline NBC this fall, reports TVNewser.
CNN’s HLN is revamping its dayside anchor line-up, reports TVNewser. Mike Galanos will anchor from noon to 4 p.m. ET, while Richelle Carey, Susan Hendricks and Christi Paul, among others, will back him. Carey will continue anchoring from 4 to 5 p.m. ET. Vinnie Politan, anchor of TruTV’s In Session, will anchor HLN’s Prime News at 6 p.m. ET. Politan’s co-broadcasters on In Session, Ryan Smith, also will contribute to HLN’s Morning Express. Paul also contributes to In Session. Natasha Curry will be the sole anchor of HLN Weekend News, and she’ll continue to back up Robin Meade and will rotate with Hendricks and Carey.
CNN has renamed its Audience and Research division CNN Research and Analytics, and it will focus more on the analytical and digital side of research. The division also has hired Jill Dowless to be VP of Television Research and Maureen Lynch to be director of CNN Research on the TV side. On the digital side, Bruce Tyroler is the new VP of digital research and analytics in New York, while Ann Harris is director of digital analytics and Devora Olin is a new research analyst. Both Harris and Olin will be based in Atlanta.
Friday Abernethy has been named EVP of affiliate sales and marketing at TV Guide Network. She comes to the net from MTV where she worked for 12 years.
Michael Kelley has been named CMO of AdGenesis, a consumer-oriented video advertising network that runs across multiple media platforms. Kelley previously was a partner at PricewaterhouseCooper’s digital media practice.
Fred Cunha was been promoted to VP of affiliate relations at DG FastChannel. Previously, he was director of affiliate relations.
