What’s behind the delay in announcing the elevation of Christina Norman to head MTV: Music Television and MTV2? The search for her replacement as president of VH1 -- a quest that may be coming to an end.
B&C reported last month Norman’s impending promotion, but it won’t be finalized until she hands over the reins at VH1. One prominent candidate for the job has emerged, and it’s a bit of a surprise: Tom Ascheim, executive vice president and general manager, Nickelodeon Digital TV.
Ascheim won respect within Viacom for the job he did helping start Nick spinoffs Noggin and The N. But he’s not an obvious choice: MTV Networks is well-known for promoting from within, but not from one silo—Nick—to the other. Ascheim is in heavy rotation, though, talking to MTVN brass about the top spot at VH1.
MTV Group President Van Toffler is on vacation, so nothing’s likely to happen this week. If he doesn’t wrap this up soon, it could be awkward at MTVN’s giant upfront presentation to advertisers on May 3 if Norman’s on stage pitching VH1 when everyone knows she’s heading for MTV.
