Promotions, Addition at Spike

By Anne Becker -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/12/2005 12:15:00 PM

Spike TV senior vice president of programming Robert Friedman has nailed down some personnel changes in his team.

John Griffin, director, scheduling, acquisitions and program information for A&E, and a 12-year vet of that net, will join the male-targeted Spike as VP, programming.

Nancy (Kane) Leidersdorff joins Spike as director, media planning. Most recently she served as director, on-air planning and strategy, at Food Network, where she launched recent network hit Iron Chef America. 

Erin McQuade becomes senior director, programming. McQuade joined Spike from Outdoor Life Network in July, 2001 and most recently was director, programming.

Spike's programming team will need to find a replacement for one of the nets top performers. Spike recently gave up the rights to consistently high performing programming from World Wrestling Entertainment--new Spike President Doug Herzog didn't pursue a new deal with WWE--handing those rights over to NBC Universal starting in October.

Spike, available in 88 million homes, is a division of Viacom-owned MTV Networks.