Fates & Fortunes

What's Your Fate?

SEND TO: Fates & Fortunes, Broadcasting & Cable

E-MAIL: bcfates@reedbusiness.com

FAX: 646-746-7028;

MAIL: 360 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10010

Broadcast TV

Thomas Grant, national sales manager, Grant Group's WFXR/WWCW Roanoke, Va., named national sales manager/assistant station manager for the group's WZDX/WAMY Huntsville, Ala.

Jimmy O'Brien, new business development director, Pappas Telecasting's WCWG Greensboro, N.C., named local marketing manager.

Luis “LA” Muñoz, senior producer, Bauhaus Media Group Inc., San Antonio, named executive producer, local programming, Great Day SA/Great Day Sunday, KENS San Antonio.

Ken Wilkey, senior VP, technology, NBC and Telemundo Television Stations, named senior VP, Telemundo network broadcast operations, a newly created post based in Hialeah, Fla.

Michael McClain, VP/news director, WBRC Birmingham, Ala., named VP/news director, WTVT Tampa, Fla.

Maureen Wagner, VP, corporate relations/corporate support specialist, WTCI Chattanooga, Tenn., promoted to VP, development.

At KTVT/KTXA Dallas: Aaron Wische, executive producer, special projects, WTTG Washington, joins in the same capacity; Norman Grunsfeld, account executive, Fox Stations Sales, Dallas, joins as account executive, KTXA.

Edgar Vargas, freelancer, WLS Chicago, named producer, Programming Department.

Cable TV

Ross Lieberman, director, congressional and state affairs, EchoStar Communications Corp., joins American Cable Association as VP, government affairs.

Jeff Abney, executive director, marketing operations, Cox Communications Inc., Atlanta, appointed executive director, business operations.

At Comcast: Janine Morse, VP/general manager, Huntsville and Florence, Ala., and Tupelo, Miss., systems, named VP, new products, Delta Region; Ted Lango, formerly with Cleartel Communications, appointed director, strategic call center operations, Southern Division; Aaron Geisel, area senior director, marketing operations, Southern New Jersey, named regional VP, sales and marketing, Indianapolis Region; John Treece, director of cable business development, Juniper Networks Inc., rejoins as division VP, capacity management, Southern Division headquarters, Atlanta; Patrick Paterno, manager, media relations, Leader Dogs for the Blind, named regional director of communications, Michigan Region.

Programming

At Turner Entertainment Networks: Sandra Dewey, senior VP, original programming, TBS/TNT, named senior VP, original programming, adding Court TV and Turner Classic Movies to her portfolio; MichaelLanzillotta, VP/senior counsel, business and legal affairs, VH1, MTV Networks and Viacom International, joins as VP, business affairs, Court TV; Pola Changnon, VP, on-air/executive producer, program production, Cartoon Network, named VP/creative director, on-air promotions, TCM.

Chris Bosco, VP/controller, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., promoted to senior VP, finance.

Joseph Townley, executive producer, Spike TV/MY Entertainment series Pros vs. Joes/consultant, Sports Capital Partners LLC, named COO, Carat Entertainment and MY Entertainment Co. LLC.

Mary Jeanne Cavanagh, senior VP, national ad sales, Oxygen, promoted to executive VP, advertising sales,

Bob Pederson promoted to senior VP/creative director, on-air brand creative, Comedy Central, adding supervision of network broadcast design and cross-channel promotion.

Susan Bunda, senior VP, news, CNN/U.S., promoted to the newly created position of executive VP, content development and strategy, CNN Worldwide.

Regina DiMartino, executive VP, global marketing, Fox Television Studios, named executive VP, marketing, TLC.

Kimberly Kleid, director, programming and development, NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution, named VP, programming and development.

John Burnett, formerly with FSN's national sales team, promoted to VP/general sales manager, responsible for FSN Southwest/FSN Houston.

Dario Spina, senior VP, marketing, Spike TV, promoted to senior VP, integrated marketing, MTV Networks Entertainment Group.

At ABC News: Vinnie Malhotra, senior producer, Nightline, named executive producer, weekend news content; David Reiter named senior broadcast producer, World News Saturday/World News Sunday, and continues at Special Events Unit.

At MSG Media: Melissa Chusid, consultant, appointed director, talent relations and development; Staci Dunbar, consultant, appointed senior coordinating producer, original programming, features and post production; Jeff Filippi, consultant, named senior coordinating producer, MSG remote and classic programming; Denise Giordano, manager of programming, promoted to director, programming and acquisitions.

Journalism

Christie Dutton, meteorologist, morning news team, WHAS Lexington, Ky., joins WXIX Cincinnati as meteorologist.

At Fisher Communications' KBCI Boise, Idaho: Adam Rodriguez, weekend anchor/reporter, KPVI Pocatello, Idaho, joins as weekend anchor/reporter; Nicole Navarro, reporter, KEZI Eugene, Ore., joins as general assignment reporter.

At KPIX San Francisco: Gerry Watson, photographer/ editor, special projects, named photojournalist; Rick Martin, photojournalist, KNTV San Jose, Calif., joins in the same capacity; Jim Flannagan, chief photographer/editor KCBA/KION Salinas, Calif., joins as photojournalist.

Mark Ockerbloom, weekend anchor/reporter, WFXT Boston, promoted to co-anchor, Fox25 News at Ten, Fox25 News at 5:00 and Fox25 News at 5:30.

Technology

At Broadcast Pix Inc., Burlington, Mass.: Arco Groenenberg, sales manager, broadcast–post/new media, Avid Technology, Tewksbury, Mass., joins as senior sales manager, Western region, based in San Francisco; Allan Leon, previously with manufacturers rep firm Creative Media Products, Chapel Hill, N.C., joins as Southeastern regional sales manager, based in Chapel Hill.

David Feldman, principal member of the Technical Staff of Advanced Micro Devices, joins Vyyo Inc., Norcross, Ga., as chief technology officer.

Anthony L. Buzzeo, VP/general manager, Sterling Sound, New York, appointed director, marketing, SAMMA Systems. New York.

Lisa Kirtley, national sales manager, Echolab, appointed director, channel sales. Crispin Corp., Durham, N.C.

Christine Munson, VP, finance , MarketTools Inc., San Francisco, joins ICTV, Los Gatos, Calif., as chief financial officer.

Jas Foo, marketing manager, Dayang International, Hong Kong, appointed director of marketing communications, QuStream Corp., based in Northport, N.Y.

Dev Bhattacharyya, most recently with Chordiant Software, Manchester, N.H., joins Eloda Corp., Montreal, as senior systems architect.

Rick Howe, formerly of Zodiac Interactive, appointed VP, business development, Ensequence.

Marketing/Advertising/PR

Christopher Kelly, group sales manager, New York Yankees team, Blair Television, appointed VP/sales manager, New York office.

Alan Cohen, executive VP/managing director, innovations and entertainment, North America, Initiative North America, promoted to executive VP/managing director, Initiative West.

John Casey, director, finance, CABLEready, Norwalk, Conn., promoted to VP, finance.

At Clear Channel Katz Advantage, Network Advantage, New York: Mike Donnelly, VP/regional account manager, named VP/manager; Mark Rivera, senior account executive, named associate manager.

At Communication Trends Inc., Atlanta: Nicole Dicharry, director, client services, promoted to senior director, client services; Emily Wheeler, director, client services, promoted to senior director, client services.

Robert Ryan, director, North American operations, Setanta Sports North America, New York, adds head of sponsorships & advertising sales.

Internet

Ray Hennessey, editor, SmartMoney.com, named managing editor/director, Fox Business Channel Website.

At MSG Media, MSG Interactive division: Heather Pariseau, director, operations, AOL Local, named VP, interactive programming & operations; Erin Franzman, East Coast managing editor, AOL CityGuide, America Online, named director, programming.

Related fields

At Simmons Research, an Experian Company: Steve Walsh, senior VP/director, sales, IAG Research, named senior VP/director of sales, based in New York; Sarah Thomson, regional account executive, OutStart Inc., joins as director, West Coast advertiser sales, based in Seattle; Drew Simpson, managing partner, KMR Americas, named VP/director, Experian local market services, based in Cleveland.

At The Cable Center, Denver: Michael Willner, chairman/CEO, Insight Communications, elected vice chairman of the board of directors; new board members: John Bickham, president, Cable & Communications, Cablevision; David Cohen, executive VP, Comcast; Italia Commisso Weinand, senior VP, HR and programming, Mediacom Communications Corp.; Jerry Kent, president/CEO, Cequel III; Bob Miron, chairman/CEO, Advance/Newhouse Communications Inc.; Peter Stern, executive VP, product management, Time Warner Cable; Debora Wilson, president, The Weather Channel; Barbara York, senior VP, industry affairs, NCTA.

Lori Dicker, director, Los Angeles Office/West Coast Media & Entertainment Practice, Organic Inc. (Omnicom), joins Discovery Holding Co. subsidiary Ascent Media Group as VP, business development, Digital Services Group.