Dan Horowitz, ex-Small Business Administration and Capitol Hill, becomes chief operating officer, Progress & Freedom Foundation … Tony Viner to retire as Rogers Media CEO, will stay until successor is named … Current Media names Courtney Menzel, ex-MTV, executive vice president, distribution.
Jerry Kersting promoted to president, Tribune Broadcasting. Ed Wilson steps down as chief revenue officer, to remain consultant … Sonus Networks promotes Wayne Pastore to chief financial officer … Shaw Communications hires Paul Robertson, ex-Corus TV, to oversee its new Canwest holdings … Eric Markgraf promoted to Fox TV Sports Group chief marketing officer … Reorganization at Townsquare Media, formerly Regent Communications: Steven Price, FiveWire Ventures, becomes chairman-CEO; Stuart Rosenstein, also from FiveWire, becomes executive vice president-chief financial officer; CEO William Stakelin and CFO Anthony Vasconcellos resign … Arent Fox promotes Stephanie Joyce to partner in telecom group.
Ovation TV named Ellen Schned, ex-CBS College Sports, senior vice president, distribution …
Bob Pisano, MPAA, elected chairman of the Motion Picture & Television Fund board, succeeding
Ex parte filings: Time Warner Cable, in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 10-71, continued to press the FCC to promptly start a rulemaking to change the way that retransmission-consent disputes are handled. Section 325 of the Communications Act lets the agency order interim carriage during contract disputes between TV stations and subscription-video providers, company representatives told an aide to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. … Discovery Communications said the commission needs to protect diversity in programming offered by pay-TV providers. Executives discussed with an aide to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski the impact that the current retransmission system has on the ability of programmers unaffiliated with broadcasters guaranteed cable distribution to gain carriage “on reasonable terms and conditions,” said a filing in the docket Thursday.
Ikanos Communications Chairman Diosdado Banatao becomes interim CEO, replacing Michael Gulett, resigned … South Dakota Public Utilities Commission candidate Doyle Karpen has his party’s official nod but still will face competition from fellow Democrat John Zaks when state Democrats convene in June … Clear Channel Radio hires Bob Michaels to new position of executive vice president of research … CBS promotes Zander Lurie to senior vice president of strategic development … Discovery promotes Glenn Oakley to executive vice president of media technology, production and operations, replacing John Honeycutt, who moved to head of international business operations for Discovery Networks International … Laura Kuhn promoted to senior vice president-strategic sales insights, ABC Family … Verizon Wireless promotes Mark Frazier to president of its Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia region.
John Eichhorn, ex-Hewlett-Packard, hired by Tropos Networks as chief financial officer …
Ex parte filings: American Cable Association representatives said retransmission consent and video programming price discrimination occur against small and mid-sized cable operators. Executives at cable operators MetroCast and WOW and the National Cable Television Cooperative also participated in the meetings last week with Commissioners Michael Copps and an aide to and Robert McDowell.
Christopher Ornelas, ex-Brownstein Hyatt and ex-Senate aide to NAB President Gordon Smith, joins NAB as executive vice president-chief strategy officer … Gordon Snow promoted to assistant director, FBI Cyber Division … Discovery promotes Robert Voltaggio to senior vice president, national ad sales and planning … Peter Diaz promoted by Belo to president of media operations … Christoph Pachler, ex-Sony Pictures Entertainment, hired by Playboy Enterprises as chief financial officer and executive vice president.
Senior Vice President Matthew Kazmierczak becomes interim director of TechAmerica Foundation, replacing Foundation President Christopher Hansen, leaving April 30 to head American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network … NBC Local Media promotes to vice presidents of digital media Gregory Gittrich, editor in chief, and Lora Le Sage, operations … Scott Lewers promoted by Oxygen Media to vice president of multiplatform program planning and acquisitions.