Broadcast TV
Susan Kelly,
local sales manager, WIAT(TV) Birmingham, Ala., promoted to general sales manager.
Jeffrey V. Abrams,
overnight on-air talent, WPHD(FM) Poughkeepsie, N.Y., named account executive, WEWB-TV Albany, N.Y.
Programming
Dene Stratton,
VP, planning and control, ABC Inc., Los Angeles, promoted to senior VP.
Appointments at ABC Entertainment/Touchstone Television, Los Angeles: Polin Cohanne,
chief of staff to assistant secretary of labor, Veterans' Employment and Training, Washington, joins as VP, legal affairs; Jeff Frost, VP, legal affairs, named VP, business affairs, Touchstone Television.
David Snapp,
director, ABC Video Design Group, Los Angeles, joins Crown Media Holdings Inc., Los Angeles, as VP, video design, worldwide marketing and brand strategy.
Liz Kalodner,
chairman/ CEO, Socialnet Inc., San Francisco, joins Sesame Workshop, New York, as senior VP/GM, global consumer products and international TV distribution.
Jim Hunn,
partner/chief creative officer, Earle Palmer Brown, Washington, joins Discovery Networks, Bethesda, Md., as VP, marketing, Animal Planet.
Michelle Y. Lévesque,
director, financial planning and analysis, Universal Television Networks Group, Los Angeles, joins E! Networks, Los Angeles, as VP, international channels.
Appointments at SoapNet, Burbank, Calif.: Sherri York,
national director, marketing and communications, MTV Networks, New York, appointed VP, marketing; Mary Ellen DiPrisco,
producer, Beyond With James Van Praagh, Tribune Entertainment, Los Angeles, appointed executive director, original programming.
Daniel Paterna,
staff designer, ABC Television, New York, joins Crossroads Television, New York, as design director.
Jim Hashman,
training director, affiliate marketing, Starz Encore, Englewood, Colo., promoted to senior training director.
Radio
Ted Pallad,
sales manager, Katz Radio, Los Angeles, appointed VP/sales manager.
Journalism
Jesica Witte,
interim news director, WQOW-TV Eau Claire/WXOW-TV La Crosse, Wis., named news director.
Internet
David Baron,
executive producer, Paramount Digital Entertainment, Hollywood, Calif., promoted to VP, programming and production.
Technology
William S. Beans Jr.,
executive VP/COO, SwitchPoint Networks Inc., Orem, Utah, named CEO.
Grayson Hoberg ,
CFO/ SVP, finance and administration, Earthlink, Pasadena, Calif., named COO/CFO, iBlast, Los Angeles.
Appointments at Harris Corp., Mason, Ohio: Jay Adrick,
VP, studio products and systems, broadcast communications division, appointed VP, strategic business development; Douglas Stark,
VP, joint ventures, Harris Publishing Systems Corp., Melbourne, Fla., joins as VP, studio products and systems.
Advertising/Marketing/PR
Michael Wach,
VP/GM, WNYW(TV) New York, joins Rainbow Advertising Sales Corp., New York, as executive VP, New York sales.
David Andersen,
CTO, Lucrum Consulting, Cincinnati, joins DMR, Cincinnati, as senior VP, systems and operations.
Associations/Law Firms
Mary G. Bitterman
will join The James Irvine Foundation, San Francisco, as CEO/president. She will resign early next year as president/CEO, KQED(TV) San Francisco.
Jason Chappelle,
writer, Studio City, Los Angeles, promoted to senior writer/producer.
Obituary
F. Merrill Lindsay Jr.
died Nov. 2 in Decatur, Ill., at 91. He had been on the board of directors of the NAB and of BMI. He was the second president of the Illinois Broadcasters Association and had received its Vincent Wasilewski Award for outstanding service to broadcasting.
Lindsay began his career in communications in the 1930s. He served as GM of WSOY radio in Decatur from 1939-1956.
He had been a director of Midwest Television Inc. and president of Lindsay-Schaub Newspapers Inc.
At the time of his death, he was chairman of the board of Quincy (Ill.) Newspapers Inc., operator of 11 TV stations, two radio stations and two newspapers.
