CNN hired two veteran journalists to newly created programming posts Tuesday.
The news network named Bart Feder, chairman of The FeedRoom, an online video provider, as senior vice president for current programming. Scott Matthews, vice president and news director of WNYW-TV and WWOR-TV in New York City, was appointed director of programming.
Both are newly created positions within CNN/U.S. with Feder reporting to president Jon Klein and Matthews reporting to Feder. Feder’s appointment is effective immediately, and Matthews begins Feb. 11.
In his role, Feder will be based at CNN in New York and will oversee all on-air programming for CNN/U.S. and coordinate efforts with CNN.com and other digital ventures to distribute CNN programming across multiple platforms. Matthews will serve as the network’s primary programming executive in Atlanta, responsible for all CNN/U.S. newscasts emanating from CNN headquarters.
Feder comes to CNN as an award-winning journalist whose career combines experience as a major market television executive with leadership in digital media and Web video. At The FeedRoom, where he succeeded Klein as CEO, Feder oversaw the company’s efforts to provide high-quality Web video and digital media applications for media, publishing, government and corporate clients including ESPN, The New York Times, General Motors and others.
Before joining The FeedRoom in 2000, Feder served as news director for WABC-TV in New York, where he earned an Alfred I. duPont Award, an Edward R. Murrow award and other accolades for the groundbreaking series "Room 104 – The Overcrowding Crisis" about New York City public schools. He has also served as news director for WHDH-TV in Boston, WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, Fla., and KOVR-TV in Sacramento, Calif.
Matthews joins CNN after serving as vice president and news director for WNYW-TV and WWOR-TV in New York City, managing a staff of more than 200 people and producing eight hours of news each day. He held similar roles at WTXF-TV in Philadelphia and WFXT-TV in Boston, earning a reputation as a director who improved local journalism through an emphasis on quality reporting and humanistic values. Matthews’ career also includes significant investigative reporting experience, which involved stints as executive producer for investigative reporting at WNYW-TV in New York and KNXV-TV in Phoenix.
