Broadcasting TV
Freddie Tezak Ray,
VP/ general sales manager, KRIV(TV) Houston, joins WTVT(TV) Tampa, Fla., as VP, sales.
Marc Henderson,
account executive, KTVX(TV) Salt Lake City, promoted to manager, retail department.
Cable TV
Philip G. D'Ambrosio,
partner, tax services/national tax director, Ernst & Young, New York, joins Cablevision, Bethpage, N.Y., as senior VP, tax.
Programming
Suzanne Kolb,
senior VP, strategic marketing, The WB, Burbank, Calif., promoted to executive VP, marketing.
Chris Carlisle,
senior VP, marketing and promotions, FX Networks, Los Angeles, promoted executive VP.
John M. Renfro,
senior VP, human resources, Gateway Inc., San Diego, joins The Walt Disney Co., Burbank, Calif., in the same capacity.
Appointments at USA Networks, Los Angeles: Laurette Hayden,
VP, original movies, Lifetime Television, Los Angeles, joins as senior VP, long form programming; Christof Bove,
manager, development, long form, promoted to VP; Michael Sluchan,
creative executive, long form, promoted to director; Gary Shapiro,
manager, development, reality programming and series, promoted to director; Bill McGoldrick,
manager, scripted series, promoted to director, development, original series.
Theresa Edy, head, creative affairs, Tony Jonas Productions, Los Angeles, joins Lifetime Television, Los Angeles, as VP, series programming.
Joe Schlosser,
Los Angeles bureau chief, Broadcasting and Cable
magazine, joins Hallmark Channel, Los Angeles, as VP, communications and publicity.
Dick Roberts,
director, advertising and promotions, Columbia TriStar Television Distribution, Culver City, Calif., promoted to VP, marketing, off-network programming.
Promotions at Comcast SportsNet, Philadelphia: Stephanie Smith,
senior VP, marketing and business development, named senior VP/ GM, Comcast SportsNet; Bob Ayars,
director, creative development, promoted to VP, operations; Tom Stathakes,
news director, named VP, programming.
Todd Green,
senior director, category sales, planning and marketing, Kraft Foods, Tarrytown, N.Y., joins Bravo Networks, Jericho, N.Y., as VP, national accounts and affiliate marketing.
Ron Tarsoff,
director, engineering, Turner Entertainment Group Operations, Atlanta, promoted to VP, broadcast technology and engineering.
Lynn Lehmkuhl,
president, youth group, Emap USA, New York, joins Sesame Workshop, New York, as VP, corporate sponsorship.
Mary Donahue,
producer, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Harpo Productions, Chicago, joins A Wedding Story, Banyan Productions, Philadelphia, as executive producer.
David Swartz,
producer, Olympics feature department, NBC, New York, joins Varsity Entertainment, New York, as producer.
Steve Lange,
GM, Weller/ Grossman Productions, Los Angeles, promoted to executive producer.
Journalism
Frank Sesno,
former senior VP/Washington bureau chief, CNN, joins George Mason University, Fairfax, Va., as university professor, public policy and communications.
Appointments at CNN, Washington: Kathryn Kross,
deputy bureau chief/executive editor, named VP/bureau chief; Steve Redisch,
executive producer, Wolf Blitzer Reports, named deputy bureau chief/executive editor; Matt Speiser,
senior producer, named director, newsgathering.
David Morgan,
assistant news director, KTSM-TV El Paso, Texas, named news director, KDBC-TV El Paso.
Caryn Brooks,
managing editor, news, WFLD(TV) Chicago, joins WGN-TV Chicago, as executive producer, morning news.
Amanda Grove,
anchor, WCBS-TV New York, joins Court TV, New York, as reporter.
Appointments at National Geographic Today ,
Washington: Laura Greene,
correspondent/anchor, BBC Television, London, joins as co-anchor; Patty Kim,
anchor/producer, @discovery.ca, Toronto, joins as field correspondent.
Appointments at Good Morning Washington, WJLA-TV Washington: Andrea McCarren,
reporter, promoted to anchor/reporter; Elliott Francis,
anchor/reporter, Orange County Newschannel, Santa Ana, Calif., joins in the same capacity.
Bob Sellers,
reporter, Market Watch
and Today's Business, CNBC, Fort Lee, N.J., joins Fox News Channel, New York, as general news reporter.
Advertising/Marketing/PR
Tom Meredith,
VP, research, Intertainer Inc., Culver City, Calif., joins E-Poll, Encino, Calif., in the same capacity.
Radio
James Brown,
anchor, Fox NFL Sunday, Fox Sports, Los Angeles, joins Sporting News Radio, Chicago, as host, The James Brown Show.
Internet
Jason Revzon,
senior producer, Tribune Interactive Inc., Chicago, promoted to executive producer, broadcast division.
Obituary
Bill Hillier,
television producer and president of Hillier & Co., died of cancer in Encino, Calif., on March 18. He was 61.
Hillier, a Harvard graduate, began his career at KING-TV Seattle as a director and producer of the station's live and local shows in 1966. Two years later, he moved on to the Westinghouse Broadcasting Group's W Productions, where, in addition to producing projects for WBZ-TV Boston, WJZ-TV Baltimore and KPIX-TV San Francisco, he created PM Magazine, a syndicated daily show that included both local content and local hosts.
He was honored with Emmys for his production of Beggars at the Gates
(1969) and The Savage Root
(1970).
Leaving Westinghouse in 1980, Hillier started his own production company. In 1985, he was inducted into NATPE's Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Most recently, Hillier paired with television host Wink Martindale to produce, among others, Trivial Pursuit
and Mother Goose.
He is survived by his wife, Meri; three children; his father, Dr. James Hillier; and his brother, Robert Hillier.
Memorial services will be held April 8 at noon in the Encino Glen Room, Encino/Balboa Golf Club, 16821 Burbank Blvd, Encino, CA 91436.
