Advanced Television

People

Archie Norman confirmed as ITV chairman

ITV has confirmed Archie Norman, the former chief executive of supermarket group Asda, as its new chairman. The appointment of Norman, 55, a former Tory MP, will bring to an end a seven-month search for the commercial broadcaster as it sought to replace Michael Grade, its executive chairman. ITV is expected to see its fortunes […]

November 19, 2009

Virgin's Berkett joins GMG board

Guardian Media Group has has appointed Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett as a non-executive director. Berkett has been VMED CEO since 2008 and was appointed COO of the company's precursor NTL in 2005. GMG will hope his experience can help steer its Guardian News & Media division, which houses The Guardian and Guardian.co.uk, back towards […]

November 12, 2009

Lord Burns named C4 chairman

Ofcom has confirmed that Lord Burns will be the next chairman of Channel 4, and will join the broadcaster’s board immediately for a handover period before Luke Johnson’s departure in January. He will join Channel 4 immediately as chairman-designate, working with Johnson to find a new chief executive to replace Andy Duncan. Duncan is expected […]

November 5, 2009

SeeSaw hires Rennie

SeeSaw, Arquiva's VoD service based on Kangaroo technology, has appointed Channel 4’s Matt Rennie as commercial director. Previously, Rennie worked in a business development role at Channel 4, where he led content distribution, managing commercial relations with distribution partners such as YouTube and Virgin Media. He joins a senior SeeSaw management team that includes chief […]

November 5, 2009

Tiscali MD departs

Jonathan Sykes has left his role as managing director of Tiscali TV, the IPTV service acquired by The Carphone Warehouse. Sykes held the role of managing director, content strategy at HomeChoice, the IPTV service that is the basis of Tiscali TV.

October 20, 2009

ITV drops SDN sales, raises £120m bond

COO John Cresswell, named interim CEO on Tuesday, has scrapped the sale of its DTT multiplex SDN and is looking instead to transfer its ownership to ITV's pension fund as an asset that will plug a growing hole there. ITV paid £134m (E143m) for SDN to a consortium including S4C, United News & Media and […]

October 14, 2009

Yahoo’s Connected-TV exec resigns

Patrick Barry, the executive in charge of the Yahoo’s Internet-connected TV group, has quit. Barry was responsible for deals with consumer-electronics manufacturers to deliver Yahoo’s Widget Channel apps to consumers. In January, Yahoo announced partnerships with Samsung, Sony, LG Electronics and Vizio to embed the “widgets” into their Internet-enabled TV products.

October 14, 2009

ITV interim CEO

ITV has confirmed that John Cresswell, currently Chief Operating Officer, has agreed to assume the role of Interim Chief Executive to lead the company through to the appointment and arrival of the next Chief Executive. Cresswell has informed the company that he then plans to leave to seek a fresh challenge. The Interim CEO role […]

October 13, 2009

Sky hires BBC’s Gibney

BSkyB has hired BBC marketer Naomi Gibney, who has responsibility for flagship brands including BBC1, BBC2 and CBBC, to head marketing across the satellite broadcaster’s entertainment channels. At she'll be director of marketing and communications for Sky Networks with responsiblity for all content and channel marketing across entertainment channels including Sky1, Sky Movies, Sky Arts […]

October 7, 2009

Ross takes Disney studio role

Disney Channels Worldwide President Rich Ross has been named chairman of Walt Disney Studios overseeing production, distribution and marketing for all of Disney's movie labels, including Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone, Miramax and Disney/Pixar. In addition, he'll also head Disney's theatrical and music groups. He reports to Disney prexy and CEO Bob Iger. Ross succeeds Dick […]

October 7, 2009