Fates & Fortunes

Randy Smith, VP/GM, WSET-TV Lynchburg, Va., promoted to president.

Griffin W. Foxley, VP, corporate legal affairs, ABC Inc., Los Angeles, promoted to senior VP.

Appointments at KFOR-TV Oklahoma City: Ward L. Huey, local sales manager, KENS-TV San Antonio, joins in the same capacity; Peter R. Grignon, sales account executive, WFTC(TV) Minneapolis, joins as national sales manager; Marsha S. Davis, Florida regional sales manager, Adam Young Inc., Miami, joins as local sales manager.

Appointments at Charter Communications: J. Christian Fenger, senior VP, operations, north central region, Madison, Wis., promoted senior VP, western division; William J. Shreffler, senior VP, operations, central region, St. Louis, promoted to senior VP, operations, central division.

Dick Tuthill, director, operations, Charter Communications, Worcester, Mass., named general manager, Vermont systems, Adelphia, Burlington, Vt.

David Easterly, president, Cox Enterprises Inc., Atlanta, is retiring from his operational duties but remains vice chairman, Cox board of directors.

Marc Juris, executive VP/GM, American Movie Classics, New York, named president, MuchMusic USA, New York.

Bruce Lefkowitz, senior VP, national advertising sales, Discovery Networks, New York, joins Fox Cable Networks Group, New York, as executive VP, advertising sales.

Rick Holzmann, consultant, television programming and convergence, New York, joins USA Network, New York, as VP, research and planning.

Appointments at Fox Sports Net: Bill Bergofin, corporate director, marketing, Los Angeles, named VP, regional marketing; Tony Martinez, talent coach, The Coaching Company, Dallas, joins as news director; Jeff Gibson, producer, KTVT(TV) Fort Worth, Texas, joins as director, news operations, Dallas.

Jeanette Ourada, director, internal audit, Atlantic Richfield Co., Los Angeles, appointed VP, finance, Universal Studios Television Distribution, Universal City, Calif.

Nicole Goldman, manager, corporate communications and special projects, The Jim Henson Co., Los Angeles, promoted to director.

Promotions at Intersport, Chicago: Jason Coyle, general counsel/VP, programming, promoted to VP/GM, television and events group; Scot Thor, senior producer, promoted to VP, production and events.

Antonio Mora, news anchor, Good Morning America, New York, named main anchor, WBBM-TV Chicago.

Thalia Assuras, primary anchor, CBS Evening News, Saturday edition, Washington, adds to her duties, national correspondent, Early Show, Washington.

Keith Luttkus, account executive, Paramount Advertiser Services, New York, promoted to VP, Midwest sales, Chicago.

Debbie Brodsky, senior director, content, Comcast, Philadelphia, named senior director, affiliate relations, Comcast Online, Philadelphia.

Guy Johnson, senior VP, sales and product management, Americas, Thomson Multimedia, San Francisco, joins Sirius Satellite Radio, New York.

Earl Abrams, 90, retired senior correspondent for Broadcasting & Cable (then known as Broadcasting) magazine, died Jan. 10 at Arlington (Va.) Hospital following a stroke.

After service in World War II and stints at AP in Newark, N.J., The Washington Post and TV Digest magazine, Abrams joined Broadcasting in 1951 as an associate editor in Washington. During his career at the magazine, he covered the FCC, FTC, Congress, the courts and the Justice Department, including proceedings involving the creation of TV, FM, color TV, UHF, cable, pay TV and satellite.

Abrams moved to Hollywood in 1973 as West Coast editor, retiring in 1976, when he returned to the Washington area. A graduate of the University of Virginia and New Jersey State Teachers College, Abrams was a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Press Club, the board of the Broadcast Pioneers of Washington, and the Congressional Periodical Press Gallery.

Survivors include his wife, Helen Lesser Abrams; daughters Susan Laurie Abrams Hall and Alice Deborah Abrams; and four grandchildren.—John Eggerton