TNT and TBS head Steve Koonin will take over the reins of Turner Classic Movies and Court TV as newly named president of Turner Entertainment Networks, according to Turner Entertainment Group president Mark Lazarus.
Koonin -- who, as executive vice president and general manager, oversaw the rebranding of TNT and TBS as the home of drama and comedy content, respectively -- will now also be responsible for building upon the established brands of 75 million-subscriber TCM and 86 million-subscriber Court TV, according to Lazarus.
Turner acquired Liberty Media’s 50% stake in Court TV in May.
TCM executive VP and GM Tom Karsch and Court TV GM of programming and marketing Marc Juris and executive VP of daytime and news programming Marlene Dann will report to Koonin.
“The successful rebranding of TNT and TBS are direct reflections of Steve’s strategic vision, executional excellence and leadership ability,” Lazarus said in a prepared statement. “The addition of TCM and Court TV to his oversight indicates our regard for his skill as an executive and further positions these valuable assets within the Turner Entertainment Networks portfolio, where they can be leveraged for continued growth alongside TNT and TBS on both linear and digital platforms.”
