A group of former Cable News Network executives said Tuesday that they have
formed a company that will develop interactive television products.
The Atlanta-based company, Armchair Media, was founded by Scott Woelfel, who
was president of CNN Interactive until January. CNN laid off about 400 employees
in January, including many staffers from its CNN Interactive division, some of
whom now work for Armchair Media.
Woelfel said that the company hopes to consult media companies on ITV
development, and that it will also produce ITV content.
Dave Rickett, the former vice president of content development at CNN
Interactive, is vice president and chief content officer at Armchair Media. Dave
Ragals, former vice president of news features at CNN Interactive, is Armchair's
vice president of domestic business development. Former CNN.com director of
content development Amber Eaves Tyree is the company's vice president of
international business development; former CNN vice president of software
development and technology strategy Miguel Garcia is Armchair's vice president
and chief technology officer; former CNN.com and CNNfn.com creative director
Stefan Kjartansson holds the same title at Armchair; and Kenny Furguson, another
CNN.com veteran, is director of ITV and broadband at the new company.
'We're going to be the glue between media companies and technology companies
in enabling the [ITV] technology,' Woelfel said Tuesday.
Woelfel wouldn't name any media companies Armchair is working with. On its
Web site, the company lists two clients, Atlanta Community Food bank and
Icelandic news portal Visir.is
