Broadcast TV
Robin Smith, VP, finance and television, Backyard Broadcasting, Baltimore, appointed VP/CFO.
At KDWF(TV)/KDFI-TV/Fox Sports Net Southwest, Dallas: Marie Fuhrken,
controller, KUTV(TV) Salt Lake City, joins as VP, finance; Linda Hamilton,
design director, WFAA-TV Dallas, joins in the same capacity.
Patrick Nevin, VP/executive director, Fox Sports Net Northwest, Seattle, named VP/director, sales, KSAZ-TV/KUTP(TV) and Fox Sports Net Arizona, Phoenix.
At WGN-TV Chicago: Dominic Mancuso,
director, sales, promoted to station manager; Marty Wilke, local sales manager, promoted to director, sales; Jeff Shaw, national sales manager, promoted to local sales manager; Glen Callanan,
regional sales manager, promoted to national sales manager.
Marie McGlynn-Peach,
executive director, Belo Marketing Solutions, Dallas, named general sales manager, KTVK(TV) Phoenix.
Cable TV
At Comcast Cable, Philadelphia: Debra Thacker,
VP/GM, Montgomery County cable system, promoted to area VP, Bucks and Montgomery Counties; Eileen Diskin,
director, affiliate marketing, E! Entertainment Television and Style, Los Angeles, joins as director, communications.
Shahid Butt,
director, consumer marketing and advanced services, Charter Communications, St. Louis, named VP, marketing, new products and channels.
Programming
Lydia Stephans,
president/executive producer, Oxygen Sports, New York, named executive VP, production, Oxygen Media.
John Kohler,
VP, creative affairs, Paramount Domestic Television, Los Angeles, promoted to senior VP.
Mike Garcia,
director, TV development, Industry Entertainment, Los Angeles, named director, original programming, HBO, Los Angeles.
William Weil,
senior VP, marketing, American Greetings.com, Cleveland, joins National Geographic Television & Film, Washington, as senior VP, marketing and business development.
Cathy Veisel,
executive assistant to David Grant, president, Fox Television Studios, Los Angeles, promoted to manager, creative affairs, Fox Alternative Productions.
At National College Sports Network, New York: Kelly Dunne,
executive producer, The Diecks Group, New York, joins as VP, creative services; Patricia Power,
VP, operations, Major League Baseball, New York, joins as senior VP, operations; Barbara Shulman,
senior VP, business and legal affairs, Oxygen Media, New York, joins as senior VP/general counsel; Joseph Salerno,
director, SeaChange International, Chicago, joins as VP, Midwest affiliate sales, Chicago.
Steve Mendelson,
GM, Razorfish, New York, named executive director, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, New York.
Journalism
Susan Sullivan,
VP/news director, WNYW-TV New York, joins MSNBC, New York, as news director.
At Fox News, New York: Robert Zimmerman,
senior director, media relations, promoted to VP; Irena Steffen,
director, media relations, promoted to senior director.
Audra Levy,
assistant news director, WTMJ-TV Milwaukee, named news director, WSYM-TV Lansing, Mich.
Philip O'Brien, managing editor, WNBC(TV) New York, joins WCBS-TV new York, as assistant news director.
Fernando Gonzalez,
producer/cameraman,Associate Press Television News, Havana, named senior producer.
Harry McCulla,
weekend sports anchor, WGNO(TV) New Orleans, promoted to sports director.
At Local News Group, Time Warner Cable, Stamford, Conn.: Harlan Neugeboren,
senior director, engineering and technology, promoted to VP; Chris Lemire,
consultant, named director, technology; Rodrigo Fernandez,
manager, newsroom technology, promoted to director, operations.
Lynda Martin,
weeknight anchor, XETV(TV) San Diego, joins KSWB-TV San Diego, in the same capacity.
Denise Valdez,
weekend anchor/reporter, KXAS-TV Fort Worth, Texas, named weekend co-anchor, KNBC(TV) Los Angeles.
At KNXV-TV Phoenix: Jonathan Elias,
anchor/reporter, KCBS-TV Los Angeles, joins as primary anchor; Steve Irvin,
evening anchor/reporter, WTVF(TV) Nashville, Tenn., joins as morning anchor.
Donna Savarese,
anchor/reporter, KHWB(TV) Houston, joins KMOV(TV) St. Louis, in the same capacity.
At WTTG(TV) Washington: Brian Bolter,
weekend anchor, promoted to weeknight anchor; Sherri Ly,
freelance reporter, KNTV(TV) San Francisco, joins as reporter/fill-in anchor.
Jeff Brady,
weekend anchor, WFAA-TV Dallas, promoted to 5 p.m. weeknight anchor.
Sean Whiting Cuellar,
anchor/reporter, KIFI-TV Idaho Falls, Idaho, joins KTSM-TV El Paso, Texas, in the same capacity.
Alicia Booth,
health reporter, WEWS(TV) Cleveland, promoted to weekday noon anchor.
Karen May,
anchor/reporter, WTVH(TV) Syracuse, N.Y., named weekend morning anchor, WTKR(TV) Norfolk, Va.
Shae Crisson,
reporter, WTVD(TV) Durham, N.C., promoted to weekend morning anchor.
Summer Jackson,
education specialist, Community Action Agency, Danville, Ill., joins WBRZ(TV) Baton Rouge, La., as education reporter.
Daryl Hawks,
sportscaster, WJXT(TV) Jacksonville, Fla., joins WNCN(TV) Raleigh, N.C., in the same capacity.
Andy Wappler,
morning meteorologist, KIRO-TV Seattle, named chief meteorologist.
Advertising/Marketing/PR
Beth Netscher,
director, media services, Godfrey Advertising, Lancaster, Pa., joins Kelly Michener Inc., Lancaster, as media planner/buyer.
Technology
David Stengle,
interim president, Starnet, West Chester, Pa., named CEO.
Paul Parente,
sales manager, Triumph Communications, New York, named VP, sales, Genesis Networks, New York.
Allied Fields
At BMI, Nashville, Tenn.: Patricia Naar,
senior broadcast collections, promoted to assistant VP, collections; Kathi Weidow,
senior director, per program and administration, promoted to assistant VP.
At captioning service VITAC, Pittsburgh: Patricia Prozzi,
founder, ProVision Management Partners, Pittsburgh, joins as president; Joseph Karlovits,
founder, named CEO.
Obituary
LaWanda Page,
best-known as crabby Aunt Esther on '70s sitcom Sanford and Son, died Sept. 14 in Los Angeles from complications brought on by diabetes. She was 81.
Page, a comedienne whose early days were spent as a fire-eater and dancer on the black-theater and -club circuit, was a childhood friend of comedian Redd Foxx. In 1972, Foxx's new television show, Stanford and Son, was taking off, and, in its second season, he invited Page to join the cast as the acid-tongued sister of his deceased wife. A consistent ratings topper, the show found a star in Page. She stayed on until its final episode in 1977.
She is survived by a daughter, Clara Johnson.
