Fates & Fortunes

Send to: Fates & Fortunes, Broadcasting & Cable e-mail: bcfates@reedbusiness.com, fax: 646-746-7028, mail: 360 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10010

Melanie Simon, local sales manager, WBDT Dayton, Ohio, promoted to general sales manager.

Joseph A. Gamble, regional VP of Central California, Comcast, promoted to senior VP of Central California.

Jeff Herndon, co-anchor, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts, KAKE Wichita, Kan., will join KYW Philadelphia as weekend evening co-anchor in January.

Steven L. Warren, writer/producer, creative services and Internet news, KREM/KSKN Spokane, named Internet news producer, Christian Broadcasting Network, Virginia Beach, Va.

Stephen Friedman, general manager, mtvU, promoted to executive VP, MTV.

Promotions at NBC Universal Cable, Englewood Cliffs, N.Y.: Erin Breen, senior director, marketing, to VP, marketing; Wendy Gross, account executive, to manager, affiliate sales.

At ESPN Communications Department: New York: Rebecca Gertsmark, manager, promoted to director, handling affiliate sales and marketing, ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD, and Mobile ESPN wireless publishing; Santa Brito, associate manager, promoted to manager, handling ESPN Deportes. Bristol, Conn.: Paul Melvin, associate manager, promoted to manager, focusing on new media, including ESPN.com and ESPN360; Nate Smeltz, senior publicist, focusing on MLB, NBA and golf, promoted to associate manager. Orlando, Fla.; Andy Hall, freelance PR consultant, joins as manager, media relations, handling motor sports, including NASCAR, IndyCar and the NHRA; Doug Grassian, publicist, promoted to senior publicist, handling Bass and ESPN Outdoors programming; Kim Jessup, publicist, promoted to senior publicist, handling ESPN Outdoors programming and motor sports, including NASCAR.

Jason Miller, VP, advertising sales, Fuse, promoted to senior VP, advertising sales.

Martín Líberman, sports journalist and commentator, returns as co-host, Fox Sports Noticias, Fox Sports en Español/Fox Sports Latin America.

Michael Guth, senior VP, Time Warner Global Marketing, joins MSG Media, New York, as executive VP, marketing solutions.

Adam Holzer, senior VP of advertising sales, Fox Cable Sports, named senior VP of integration and emerging media, Fox Cable Networks, a newly created post.

At CNN: Eric Sherling, supervising producer, promoted to executive producer, The Situation Room; Paul Steinhauser, supervising producer, named deputy political director/managing editor for politics; and Rick DiBella, supervising producer, Fox News Sunday, joins as a senior producer, The Situation Room.

At The Tennis Channel, Los Angeles: Josh Ross, Web content manager, promoted to senior Web producer; Neema Nikravan, facilities supervisor, promoted to facilities manager, Daisy Guzman, senior help desk specialist, promoted to systems manager; Mark Schaefer, freelancer, joins as operations coordinator.

Stephen Nagler, sports producer, joins Horse Racing TV as senior producer, live programming.

Jason Horowitz, host, CBS Sportsline/host, Daily Sports Update, CBS, named Wednesday-Friday host of MSG, NY, MSG.

Catherine Moran, VP, marketing, Lifetime Entertainment Services, named VP, consumer and trade marketing, Comedy Central, New York.

At WE TV, New York, Elizabeth Dorée, VP of program planning, appointed VP, acquisitions and promotional strategy; Gary Pipa, director of scheduling, appointed VP of program planning and scheduling.

Julie Dunn, senior account director, Turner Network Sales, promoted to VP of sales and marketing.

David Benson, news assistant, NY1 News, New York, named associate producer, The Call nightly live call-in show, NY1.

John Jones, 38, VP/general counsel/assistant secretary for station-group owner Radio One and former general counsel for co-owned cable channel TV One, died of an apparent heart attack Dec. 3.

Jones was associate general counsel for Radio One when he became legal counsel for startup African-American–targeted TV One in 2003.

He returned to Radio One in December 2004.

A graduate of the Naval Academy, Jones had an MBA from Webster University and a JD from the University of Maryland. Before joining Radio One, he was an associate with law firm Cooley Goddard in Reston, Va., and had been an attorney with the SEC.