ASG
Media tech and engineering firm Advanced Systems Group has added Tim Cuthbertson as director of cloud production. The 30-year industry veteran was most recently managing director at Pixit Media USA.
COOLEY
Cooley added Tiana Demas as a partner in its cyber/data/privacy practice. She was Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and associate general counsel of cybersecurity and investigations at Facebook.
COX
Connie Walters has been named VP of employment law for Cox Communications parent Cox Enterprises in Atlanta. She was assistant general counsel of employment at Cox Automotive.
CURIOSITYSTREAM
Brandon Fong was named senior VP and head of North American distribution at CuriosityStream. He comes from STX Entertainment, where he was senior VP of digital business development
DISCOVERY
Robert L. Johnson has joined Discovery’s board of directors, replacing the departing Decker Anstrom. Johnson is the founder of BET Networks and the founder and chairman of RLJ Cos.
FRONTIER
Frontier Communications has named Nick Jeffery as its president and CEO, effective when Bernie Han steps down from that position on March 1. Jeffery had been CEO of Vodafone UK.
THEGRIO.TV
TheGrio.TV has added April Ryan as White House correspondent and Washington, D.C., bureau chief. Ryan was Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Net- works and a CNN contributor.
JIM HENSON
The Jim Henson Co. has added Sidney Clifton as senior VP, animation and mixed media, overseeing live-action and hybrid projects. The veteran producer won an Emmy for Cartoon Network’s Hellboy.
PBA ATLANTA
Public Broadcasting Atlanta (PBA) has tapped Jennifer Dorian as the organization’s new president and CEO. Dorian is a 20-year veteran of Turner, most recently in the role of general manager at TCM.
SCRIPPS
Jonathan Katz was named chief operating officer and head of entertainment for E.W. Scripps Co.’s national television networks business, consisting of Ion Media, Katz Networks and Newsy. He was head of Katz Networks.
SCRIPPS
Jason Combs was elevated to chief financial officer at the E.W. Scripps Co., succeeding national networks chief Lisa Knutson in that role. He had been the company’s VP of financial planning and analysis.
SMITHSONIAN
James F. Blue III has been named senior VP and head of Smithsonian Channel. Blue, who was a producer at PBS NewsHour, will also oversee all factual unscripted content for MTV Entertainment Group’s brands.
BRIEFLY NOTED
Other industry execs making moves
Ad agency DDB Worldwide has named Nikki Lamba as global head of diversity and inclusion. She was a senior director at Catalyst. … The Walt Disney Co. has named Alan Bergman as chairman, Disney Studios Content, and Alan Horn as chief creative officer, Disney Studios Content. The two executives had been co-chairmen of the Studios group since May 2019. … InterMedia Group of Cos. has named Michael Walters as VP, marketing and sales. He had been VP, West Coast sales at iSpot.tv. … James Peck was named CEO of NielsenIQ upon the sale of the former Nielsen Global Connect business to Advent International. He is former CEO of TransUnion. … Omnicom Group has named Emily K. Graham chief equity and impact officer and senior VP, diversity and inclusion communications. She had been chief diversity and inclusion officer at FleishmanHillard. …Beatrice Springborn was named president of Universal Content Productions, where she will oversee all aspects of original content production. She comes from Hulu, where she was VP, content development.
