Viacom names Jim Gianopulos, ex-Fox Filmed Entertainment, as chairman-CEO, Paramount Pictures, effective April 3 ... Murphy & McGonigle hires Patricia Wallace, ex-Mathews Wallace LLP, as partner, leading Strategic Discovery and Information Management group and working on cybersecurity, technology and other issues ... In Spotify's buying MightyTV, the latter's founder-CEO Brian Adams joins as vice president-technology, the acquirer announces ... Avant adds Shane McNamara, ex-Qology Direct, as executive vice president-channel sales, East.
Hearst Television adds Andrew Fitzgerald, ex-Twitter, as chief digital content officer, new position, effective April 10 ... Layer3 TV hires Amos Smith, ex-Time Warner Cable, now part of Charter Communications, as chief financial officer ... Titan Platform US adds Kelly DiGregorio, ex-Lazada, which Alibaba acquired in April, as chief content officer, and Richard Sussman, ex-TiVo/Rovi, as chief revenue officer ... Nexstar Media promotes Carol Ward to vice president-general manager of Virginia's WAVY-TV Portsmouth, WVBT Virginia Beach and associated digital services ... Alessandro Feitosa, ex-Nokia, joins 5 Bars as vice president-solution engineering.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., hires Paul Tencher, ex-Evan Bayh for Senate campaign, as chief of staff ... Entercom hires Richard Schmaeling, ex-LIN Media until Media General bought it in December 2014 and more recently ex-Travel Leaders Group, as executive vice president-chief financial officer, effective April 18, succeeding Steve Fisher, stepping down April 30 as previously announced and continuing to assist with CBS Radio integration (see 1703210063) through January, it announced (here and here) ... Disney board extends Bob Iger’s contract as chairman-CEO to July 2, 2019, from June 30, 2018, it reports to SEC.
President Donald Trump's Director-Legislative Affairs Marc Short adds to Legislative Affairs Senate staff team: Amy Swonger as deputy assistant to the president and Senate deputy director-legislative affairs, Mary Elizabeth Taylor as deputy director-nominations, and others ... Patrick Ross, ex-Patent and Trademark Office and ex-Warren Communications News, joins Procopio law firm as senior manager-marketing and communications ... MicroTech hires satellite executive Joseph Uglialoro as chief administrative officer-general counsel.
PBS hires Sara Schapiro, who most recently helped found Digital Promise, as vice president-education ... Joining National League of Cities: Irma Esparza Diggs, ex-Department of Education Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs, as senior executive and director-federal advocacy ... President Donald Trump adds to administration, at Department of Homeland Security Benjamin Cassidy, special counsel to the DHS secretary in Office of Legislative Affairs, as the department's assistant secretary-legislative affairs; and ex-DHS official Jonathan Rath Hoffman, ex-Americans for Peace Prosperity, and Security, as assistant secretary-public affairs ... Franklin Square Group adds Brian Worth, ex-Uber, as partner.
NCTA's Rita Lewis steps down as senior vice president-government relations, effective June 1, to spend more time with family, remaining as part-time senior adviser-government relations ... Comcast promotes to president-CEO, Comcast Cable Dave Watson; Neil Smit moves to the parent company's vice chairman, effective April 1 and working part time "to develop future technology-oriented business opportunities" ... Justin Cole, ex-FTC, joins CTIA as assistant vice president-public affairs ... Discovery Communications hires Joseph Ambeault, ex-Verizon, as senior vice president-product and technology.
Cohen & Grigsby hires Roberta Anderson, ex-K&L Gates, as director; practice includes cybersecurity and privacy ... At Time Warner, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Senior Vice President-Worldwide Marketing Russell Arons becomes general manager, Machinima, and works with the unit's CEO Chad Gutstein "on a multi-week transition plan, after which he’ll leave the company to pursue entrepreneurial projects" ... Nexstar Media promotes to vice president-general managers Gary Hackler at Illinois' WCIA Champaign, WCIX Springfield and illinoishomepage.net, and Coby Cooper for WATE-TV Knoxville and associated digital services.
MagicJack VocalTec names telecom executive and board nominee Don Carlos Bell CEO; Tom Fuller promoted to chief financial officer, effective in May, and Dvir Salomon to chief technology officer; Kristin Beischel named chief marketing officer and Kerrin Parker hired as chief operating officer-BroadSmart ... Arnold & Porter hires Lynn Fischer Fox, ex-International Trade Administration, as counsel ... Nexstar Media hires Fran McRae-Posey, ex-Raycom, as vice president-general manager, KLFY-TV Lafayette, Louisiana, and associated digital services ... Procera Networks hires Tom Carter, ex-F5 Networks, as senior vice president-global sales and services ... Mirror Image, content delivery, streaming media and edge computing provider, moves Mike Smith to vice president-customer experience.
Comcast promotes Kathy Zachem to executive vice president-regulatory and state legislative affairs ... Megan Pollock moves up to Samsung Electronics America vice president-strategic communications ... Rubicon Project hires Michael Barrett, ex-Millennial Media, acquired by Verizon's AOL, as CEO; Frank Addante continues with company as founder-chairman ... Information Technology Industry Council hires Naomi Wilson, ex-Department of Homeland Security, as director-global policy for China, with additional responsibilities on policy throughout Asia.
Stephanie Weiner, ex-FCC aide on issues including wireline and broadband, rejoins Harris Wiltshire, hired as partner, communications and energy practices ... Retiring from Morgan Lewis Telecommunications, Media and Technology practice: Eric Branfman ... Telecommunications Industry Association promotes Ashley Simmons to director-government and public affairs, leading public affairs and policy for the IoT, and all policy-related communications ... Hoge Fenton Intellectual Property and Privacy & Data Security groups add Lee Lueddemann, ex-Law Office of Leopold Lueddemann, and Marianna Khoury, ex-Twitter.