MTV Announces New, Creative Organizational Structure

MTV Announces New, Creative Organizational Structure

New Structure Enhances Music Network's Ability to Develop and Deliver Dynamic Content for Audiences Across All Screens

NEW YORK and SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Christina Norman, President, MTV and Brian Graden, President of Entertainment, MTV Networks Music Group and President of Logo, today announced a radical new organizational structure for MTV that will allow the network to deliver even more aggressively on its multiplatform strategy. The strategy revolves around building an engaging universe of music, entertainment, news, community and interactivity that allows the audience access to content whenever and wherever they want across a mix of platforms. The new structure will optimally position MTV to develop and distribute the most compelling, cutting-edge, dynamic and creative programming to all screens, while connecting more viewers than ever to the music and entertainment they love.

Moving forward, MTV's operations will revolve around two new, highly-integrated ecosystems. One will be aligned around the development of short-form video, music and news content for linear television as well as for online, VOD, broadband, wireless and other digital vehicles. The other will focus on maintaining and growing MTV's leadership position in the television arena through the continued development of successful long-form franchises, many of which define today's youth culture.

In making this announcement, Christina Norman said, "When I returned to MTV last year, we had entered the broadband era with MTV Overdrive to great critical and user acclaim and were developing unique new wireless entertainment while our linear channel was performing better than ever." She added, "In order to continue strengthening our connection to young people in today's digital age, it became clear that we needed to adapt our organizational structure in the same way we have always adapted our programming to meet our audiences' ever-changing tastes."

Brian Graden said, "By elevating all platforms to equal footing, we have created a 21st Century matrix for how we will develop and distribute content and connect with our audience." He added, "The creation of these two highly intertwined universes within MTV will allow us to efficiently extend our world class content-development machine across all screens, as well as position us as entertainment leaders on all platforms."

New executive positions and reporting relationships include:

Putting music front and center will be Amy Doyle, formerly Vice President, Music Programming, and now Sr. Vice President of Music & Talent. In her new role, Doyle will lead MTV's overarching music strategy, as well as record label and artist relations. Since she arrived at MTV five years ago, Doyle has embraced the multiplatform strategy and has strived to find non- traditional ways to showcase music. She has pioneered many of MTV's music initiatives including negotiating with bands like Good Charlotte to create series theme songs, enlisting hip hop artists to star in "Real World" promo campaigns, introducing soundtrack guides on MTV.com, shepherding "The Leak" for MTV.com and extending it to wireless and linear, and migrating emerging artists like Matisyahu and Death Cab for Cutie from mtvU to MTV.

Peter Baron, Vice President, Label Relations, MTV & MTV2 is also expanding his duties by assuming programming responsibility for VOD, MHD and other emerging platforms. Building on their already strong relationships with the music industry, the MTV music group will represent the power of all the MTV platforms, working with labels and artists to launch their albums with huge resonance and encompassing all the ways music fans access music content. Baron and Joanna Bomberg, VP Music & Talent, MTV, will report to Doyle.

The MTV production group has always worked closely with the music group to create hundreds of hours of music television for vehicles such as TRL, DFX and Spankin' New Music Weeks. This group not only produces compelling television, but they also generate related content for Overdrive, wireless and MTV.com. Taking on the new role of Sr. Vice President, Production will be Tony DiBari, formerly, Vice President, Production. Also fueling the various platforms is MTV News which will continue to be helmed by Ocean MacAdams, VP, MTV News.

Moving forward, the music, production and news groups will represent one ecosystem which will be led by Dave Sirulnick in his new role as Executive Vice President, MTV Multiplatform Production, News and Music, formerly Executive Vice President, News & Production. Sirulnick will connect the three worlds together, streamlining and overseeing the creation of music and short form content for the various platforms under the MTV brand. Under this new structure, Doyle, DiBari and MacAdams will report into Sirulnick. Sirulnick will continue to report into Graden.

Partnering with Sirulnick will be Ben White, Vice President, Digital Media, along with all the great digital talent, Jason Hirschhorn, MTVN Chief Digital Officer, has brought to the table. Recently, MTV's content has extended further into the wireless space with new partners such as Amp'd and Verizon Wireless.

In broadband, Ben and his team's leadership in the development of MTV Overdrive were essential and since launch, have overseen an increase of more than 826% in video streams. He and his team have also transformed MTV.com into an immersive entertainment experience that not only compliments on-air programming but has unique content created solely for the web. Ben will report to Sirulnick on content.

While Sirulnick's team is focused on music, short form content, news and new platforms, a parallel team will be solely dedicated to propelling the already thriving linear television business with half-hour and one-hour hits, primarily for MTV's 10 Spot and afternoons. Lois Curren, in her new role as Executive Vice President, MTV Series Entertainment and Programming and the person behind such groundbreaking series as "The Osbournes," "Newlyweds," "Punk'd" and "Meet the Barkers" will now be charged with all long-form television development and programming for MTV. Previously Curren, as EVP, Series Development, had overseen West Coast TV development only. Many of the shows under Curren's auspices have been among the highest rated series in channel history, and much of MTV's recent ratings success can be directly linked to her continuous string of white hot hits that have dominated the water cooler buzz. Curren will continue to report into Graden.

Tony DiSanto, formerly Senior Vice President, Production, Development & Animation, has now been promoted to Executive Vice President, Series Development & Animation. In addition to continuing to create long form series for MTV, DiSanto will expand his responsibilities to become Head of Programming for MTV2. Senior Vice President, Programming for MTV2, Carol Eng, who has been managing MTV2's amazing evolution to date, will now report into DiSanto. DiSanto, who has risen up the ranks of MTV during his 16 year tenure at the company, has recently been responsible for such successful series as "Laguna Beach," "The Andy Milonakis Show," "Run's House" and "Wild N Out." DiSanto will now report into Curren on MTV and David Cohn, MTV2's General Manager, on MTV2.

Knitting together these interdependent areas will be Paul DeBenedittis, formerly Senior Vice President, Program Planning & Scheduling, and now Executive Vice President, Multiplatform Programming, Content Strategy and Scheduling. DeBenedittis will be responsible for strategically programming and scheduling MTV's short-form and long-form content on the appropriate platform. Already deeply entrenched in this new method of programming, DeBenedittis will serve as the connective tissue that links both ecosystems. In this role, DeBenedittis will share a report into both Sirulnick and Curren.

Twenty five years ago, MTV helped revolutionize TV by celebrating short form content. Promos were true art and entertainment in their own right. Today, marketing is increasingly becoming content. As Executive Vice President of Marketing and Multiplatform Creative, formerly EVP Marketing, Tina Exarhos will continue to manage all marketing and branding efforts for MTV's long form programming, as well as redefining how we creatively market music and series in a multiplatform era. She and her team will now also extend their expertise to develop and produce compelling short-form content across all screens. Exarhos will continue to report to Christina Norman.

Commenting on the new MTV structure, Van Toffler, President of the MTV Networks Music/Logo/Films Group concluded, "MTV is a brand that continually reinvents itself along with the tastes and behavioral shifts of its audience." He added, "This new way of aligning creative talent to tee-up linear and non-linear entertainment for the audience will enable MTV to break through the clutter, launch new music superstars and develop for platforms not yet created."

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 100 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these brands are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 90 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

Source: MTV

CONTACT: Jeannie Kedas, MTVN Music Group, +1-212-846-4629; Graham James,
+1-212-846-8911, Ariana Urbont, +1-310-752-8079, or Todd Phillips,
+1-212-846-7004, all of MTV

Web site: http://www.mtv.com/

-------
Profile: intent