Viacom has promoted Tom Gorke, senior vice president of content distribution and marketing for Viacom Media Networks, to the newly created position of executive VP, sales and business development for Viacom Media Networks and BET Networks.
Gorke's new role encompasses responsibility for sales and new business efforts for all linear and digital distribution partnerships across BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Logo, Spike TV, TV Land and VH1, as well as Viacom's joint venture EPIX. He will continue to report to Denise Denson, executive vice president of content distribution.
During his tenue with Viacom, Gorke has spearheaded a number of innovative content distribution deals and played a leading role in transitioning the programmer to new digital platforms, the company said. He was responsible for negotiating and launching Viacom's initial forays into online content distribution and has played an increasing role with linear distributors as well.
As SVP of of content distribution and marketing for Viacom Media Networks, Gorke was responsible for all of Viacom Media Networks' digital content distribution deals and select linear deals. Prior to that, he was VP of digital distribution and had previously served as director of digital operations and distribution development.
"Tom has demonstrated tremendous foresight and embraced change and disruption as an opportunity to create new value for the company and our partners," Denson said. "Tom's forward-thinking and innovative lens on deal-making will further bridge the ever-blurring lines between the digital and linear universes, allow for more agile collaboration, and enable us to even better serve our partners."
