4 minute read
FATES & FORTUNES
People
Notable executives on the move
ALLEN MEDIA GROUP
Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group has tapped Geraldine Moriba as senior VP, news & entertainment for African-Americangeared website The Grio. The veteran media executive, filmmaker and journalist has worked at ABC, CNN, NBC and PBS. ALLEN MEDIA GROUP
Allen Media Group has added Matthew Signer as executive VP of production and content. He will focus on development and production of movies, TV series, documentaries, and other premium content for distribution via AMG’s platforms. CBS NEWS
Rick Jefferson has been named senior VP of news operations at CBS News, overseeing technical operations and production facilities worldwide. A longtime former NBC News executive, Jefferson was named as the division’s VP of news operations in 2017. CROWN MEDIA
Tom Ziangas has joined Crown Media Family Networks in New York as senior VP, revenue and strategic research, a newly created role. He comes from AMC Networks, where he had been senior VP of research & insights for more than a decade. CROWN MEDIA
Crown Media Family Networks has named Michael Grover as VP, brand marketing, charged with developing consumer marketing initiatives for the Hallmark Channel parent’s linear networks and SVOD services. He was a content marketing manager at Hulu.
FANDOM
Rachelle Savoia has joined Fandom as VP of communications, tasked with developing external, internal and executive communications strategy. She was VP of communications at WarnerMedia, overseeing domestic distribution comms for the Turner networks. FETV
Family Entertainment Television (FETV) has named Jaclyn Rann Cohen as executive VP, content acquisitions and strategy. The 20-year Viacom veteran had most recently worked as executive VP, content strategy and acquisitions at TV Land. FOX TV STATIONS
Marian Davey was named senior VP and GM of KMSP-WFTC, the Fox Television Stations-owned duopoly in Minneapolis. The 20-year veteran was VP and news director of the stations since 2013. Previously, she was managing editor and assistant news director. HEARST TV
Paige Harrison has been promoted to VP of news at Hearst Television, based in New York. Formerly news director of WCVB Boston, she succeeds Andrew Vrees, who was named president and GM of WMUR Manchester, New Hampshire. NCM
Scott Felenstein has been named president, sales, marketing and partnerships at National CineMedia. He was executive VP and chief revenue officer and will be succeeded by Mike Rosen, NCM’s senior VP of East Coast sales.
NEXSTAR
James Baronet was named VP/general manager of Nexstar Media Group’s Topeka, Kansas, operations, including NBC station KSNT, Fox outlet KTMJ and Vaughn Media-owned ABC/ The CW affiliate KTKA. He had been GM of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s KSAS Wichita, Kansas. NICKELODEON
Nickelodeon has promoted Eddie Gamarra to the newly created position of VP, literary affairs, Nickelodeon and Awesomeness, responsible for evaluating literary material to option and develop into content. He had been VP of studio business development. SBS
Albert Rodriguez was named president of Spanish Broadcasting System, succeeding Raul Alarcón in the role. He will continue as the company’s chief operating officer, reporting to Alarcón, who will now be chairman and CEO. SCRIPPS
Ross White was upped to VP and general manager of E.W. Scripps-owned KOAA in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formerly director of sales at KOAA, an NBC affiliate, since 2016, he started his career at KVII in Amarillo, Texas, as a news photographer before moving into several sales roles.
XYTECH
Broadcast facility management software firm Xytech has named Tanya Kelly managing director, APAC, following its acquisition of ScheduALL from Net Insight. She had been a sales and solutions consultant for ScheduALL. WISH
Circle City Broadcasting-owned WISH Indianapolis has named Dr. Jerome Adams to its reporting team. Adams, a former vice admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, served as U.S. Surgeon General during the Trump administration. WORLD OF WONDER
Los Angeles-based studio World of Wonder, producer of the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise, has hired Johnni Javier to run its production arm in the United Kingdom. He is the former director of production & operations at Blast! Films. WPIX
Nicole Tindiglia has been named news director of WPIX New York, overseeing newsgathering for the TV station, PIX11.com and their related apps. She had been assistant news director at CBS-owned WCBS New York and WLNY Riverhead, New York.
BRIEFLY NOTED
Other industry execs making moves
Vickie Burns has joined Black News Channel as senior VP of content, overseeing all editorial operations. Her news career includes leadership positions at NBC, Tribune Media and Scripps. … Jeff Murphy has joined Charter Communications as senior VP, corporate finance and development. He comes from Credit Suisse Group. Charter also made organizational changes to its sales, marketing and field operations units: Adam Ray was named executive VP, sales operations & planning; senior VP of marketing Sharon Peters added marketing, creative services and digital marketing to her responsibilities; and Tom Monaghan, senior VP of field operations, will now oversee all 11 operating regions. … Andy Charalambous was named VP of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa at OpenVault. He had been managing director at Prospect Theory.
