VH1 President Christina Norman’s christening as the new head of MTV is almost finalized, and she will be replaced by longtime MTV insider Tom Calderone. Norman, who has been president of VH1 since 2002, will take command of MTV, MTV2 and a host of digital networks, replacing Van Toffler, who rose to become president of MTVN Group last year. Norman will report to Toffler.
The move will be a return to MTV for Norman. Before moving to VH1 in 2002, she was senior VP for marketing, advertising and on-air promotion at MTV, MTV2 and MTV.com. She took over VH1 following its plunge in ratings after Behind the Music faded. She freshened up VH1's staple—nostalgia clip shows—in offerings like I Love the 90s and 100 Most Wanted Bodies. The promotion will make Norman one of the highest-ranking black executives in television.
Calderone’s ascent is interesting because he is a music executive. A former radio programmer, Calderone was executive vice president, music and talent programming, including the choice of music videos and production of MTV’s live-music programs, at MTV. He joined the network in 1998 as senior vice president of music.
