ABC News has promoted Colby Smith to senior VP, content and partnerships, where he’ll oversee the development of the news division across all emerging platforms, spanning editorial, product and audience development, as well as partnerships, distribution and marketing.
In that role, he’ll also work across the organization to identify and develop original programming opportunities for non-linear platforms and new digital video services, James Goldston, president of ABC News, said in the announcement.
Smith previously was VP of ABC News Digital.
Smith’s new, expanded role also follows a recent, digitally-focused partnership between ABC News and Roku that will see the free, ad-based The Roku Channel serve as an OTT launch destination for ABC News Live, a new 24/7 live linear news stream from ABC News. It also follows a hookup between ABC News and FiveThirtyEight tied to political coverage.
Among other digital efforts, Goldston noted that ABC News has launched an app on Amazon Fire TV and hinted at an augmented reality capability that’s coming to ABC News’s iOS app.
