Broadcast TV
Ralph Toddre,
executive VP, Sunbelt Communications Co., Las Vegas, named president/COO.
Frank Biancuzzo,
president, marketing and promotion, Hearst-Argyle Television, New York, named president/GM, WISN-TV Milwaukee.
Frank Batavick,
associate producer, Maryland Public Television, Owings Mills, Md., named coordinating producer, Zoom MPT.
Cable TV
Mark A. Harrad,
VP, public relations, Turner Broadcasting Sales Inc., New York, joins Time Warner Cable, Stamford, Conn., as VP, corporate communications.
Kelly A. Jara,
production manager, Comcast, Baltimore, named regional manager, Maryland/Delaware region.
Programming
David Sternberg,
VP/GM, Fox Sports International, Los Angeles, promoted to senior VP/GM, network operations and business development, Fox Sports World and Fox Sports World Español.
Jim Greiner,
senior VP, operations, business development and new ventures, A&E Television Networks, promoted to executive VP, new enterprises.
Joseph Tafuri,
VP, DirecTV sports advertiser sales, Columbia TriStar Television Advertiser Sales, promoted to senior VP.
Susan Panisch,
director, program development and new media, Outdoor Life Networks, Stamford, Conn., promoted to VP, programming.
Elizabeth Hillman,
director, communications and publicity, Hallmark Channel, Los Angeles, promoted to executive director.
Noni L. Ellison,
corporate attorney, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP , New York, joins Scripps Networks, New York, as director, legal affairs.
Journalism
Randal Stanley,
news director, WGRZ-TV Buffalo, N.Y., joins WKYC-TV Cleveland in the same capacity.
Appointments at NBC News, New York: Dr. Ian Smith,
medical correspondent, WNBC(TV) New York, named health and medical correspondent; Patricia Sabga,
senior business editor/anchor, CNN Headline News, New York, joins as news correspondent, New York and London.
Appointments KPNX(TV) Mesa, Ariz.: Tom Zenner,
sports anchor, WFXT(TV) Boston, joins as sports anchor/reporter; Nicole McGregor,
anchor/reporter, Orange County News Channel, Anaheim, Calif., joins as general assignment reporter; Mekahlo Medina,
general assignment reporter, KOB-TV Albuquerque, N.M., joins in the same capacity; Judy Alley, weekend anchor/reporter, WAGT(TV) Augusta, Ga., joins as weekend morning anchor/reporter; Victoria Schreiner,
producer, promoted to senior executive producer.
Lisa Colagrossi,
anchor/reporter, WKMG-TV Orlando, Fla., joins WABC-TV New York, as reporter/ fill-in anchor.
Alicia Calaway,
former Survivor II
contestant, joins WNYW(TV) New York, as health and fitness reporter.
Frank Cipolla,
freelance reporter, WWOR-TV, Secaucus, N.J., named full time general assignment reporter.
Satellite
Antonio B. Barreto,
senior VP/GM, ESPN International, Coral Gables, Fla., named senior VP, programming and marketing, DirecTV Latin America, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Andy Ras-Work,
president/CEO, Semantix Inc., Washington, joins WorldSpace Corp., Washington, as COO.
Advertising/Marketing/PR
Stephen C. Rockabrand,
senior VP, programming, new-business development and distribution, TVN Entertainment, Burbank, Calif., joins The Premiere Marketing & Distribution Group, Los Angeles, as executive VP, television and ancillary distribution.
Appointments at Nielsen Media Research, New York: Robert Luff,
VP/chief technology officer, NBC Broadcast and Network Operations, New York, joins as executive VP/chief technology officer; Jack Oken,
president, MMT Sales, New York, joins as manager, local services.
Obituary
Joseph E. McNaughton,
former owner of WCRA(AM)/WCRC(FM) Effingham, Ill., ended his own life on March 5 after battling terminal kidney cancer. He was 82.
When a deal to buy Effingham's local paper fell through, McNaughton helped to start up WCRA(AM) Effingham in 1947 and became its president and general manager a year later.
McNaughton, active in the community he served, purchased the Effingham Daily News
in 1949 and was its publisher for 43 years.
In 1952, he became president and general manager of Elgin Broadcasting Co. and eventually expanded his interests to newspapers and radio stations in Iowa, Wisconsin and California.
McNaughton's wife, Peggy Ann, passed away in April 2001. He is survived by his daughters, Mary Cecille McNaughton Feezel and Jo Ann McNaughton-Kade; brother, Dean; sister, Lou Edith; several grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
