Discovery Communications and Viacom promoted senior
advertising sales executives to new posts.
Scott Felenstein and Sharon O'Sullivan were named executive
VPs, national ad sales, at Discovery.
At Viacom, Jennie Scalzo was promoted to senior VP, music
sales, and Ellen Dominus was named senior VP, entertainment sales.
Felenstein, who had been senior VP, national ad sales, will
lead sales teams for Discovery Channel, Science Channel, Velocity, Military Channel
and Destination America. O'Sullivan, also previously a senior VP, will lead
teams for TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery and Discovery Fit and
Health. Both executives report to Joe Abruzzese, president of ad sales for
Discovery Communications.
Discovery also promoted Scott Kohn to senior VP, regional ad
sales, overseeing its Chicago, Atlanta and Detroit sales offices. He'd
previously been VP for the Midwest region and reports to Ben Price, senior VP national
ad sales.
"Our top priority within the Discovery sales organization is
to provide the highest level of service and strategic solutions for all of our
client and agency partners," Abruzzese said in a statement. "Year after year,
Scott, Sharon and Scott have each demonstrated outstanding management skills,
and the utmost quality of client service anywhere in our industry. I look
forward to working with them in their new capacities to drive results for our partners
and continued success for Discovery."
Scalzo, who had been senior VP of integrated marketing for
MTV, MTV2 and mtvU, will be responsible for MTV, MTV2, mtvU, VH1, VH1 Classic
and Palladia sales. Dominus, who had been VP of music and entertainment ad
sales, will oversee sales efforts for CMT, Comedy Central, Spike and TV Land.
The company said Scalzo and Dominus will provide a strategic
link between Viacom's Music and Entertainment Ad Sales group and the channels
it supports and will work closely with channel leadership to drive sales
strategy and products that are consistent with each brand.
"Our clients want more than a simple off the shelf
approach to marketing solutions; they want deep custom partnerships that use
every creative tool in our shed to get their messages to our audiences,"
said Jeff Lucas, head of sales for music and entertainment at Viacom, to whom
they will report. "Jeannie and Ellen live and breathe our brands,
and have an unrivalled command of how to make those brands best work for
clients on every platform."
