NFL Network hires Lorey Zlotnick, ex-Outdoor Channel, as senior vice president-marketing … Telemundo Media hires Efrain Lopez, ex-BBVA, as senior vice president-strategy, new position … Gannett’s Broadcasting Division hires Elliott Wiser, ex-Bright House Networks, as president/general manager, WTSP St. Petersburg, Fla., succeeding Ken Tonning, retiring … Elemental Technologies multiscreen content delivery firm hires Aslam Khader, ex-Ensequence, as chief product officer … Disney hires Naketha Mattocks, ex-independent film and TV producer, as vice president-original movies, Disney channels … Council for Research Excellence audience-measurement methodology group new members include Jeffrey Graham, Twitter, and Robin Thomas, Tribune Studios/WGN America … Lobbying registration: Mercury Radio, Wiley Rein, effective April 16.
Mintz Levin hires Aarti Shah, ex-International Trade Commission Office of Unfair Import Investigations, as member, intellectual property practice … Tribune Co. hires Steven Berns, ex-Revlon, as executive vice president/chief financial officer, as CFO Chandler Bigelow named executive vice president/chief business strategies and operations officer, new position … Beasley Broadcast Group promotes Justin Chase to vice president-programming, new position … Rural Telecommunications Group adds Shawn Hanson, Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, to board … Newly elected to Digital Entertainment Group board: Sofia Chang, HBO Home Entertainment; Tom McDonough, Media Services; and Darren Stupak, Sony Music Entertainment … Lobbying registration: CompTIA, ML Strategies, effective May 15.
CTIA promotes Chris Guttman-McCabe to executive vice president, replacing Bobby Franklin, hired by National Venture Capital Association as president/CEO; Guttman-McCabe to be succeeded by Scott Bergmann, promoted to vice president-regulatory affairs, with both promotions effective July 15 … Davis Polk hires Jon Leibowitz, ex-FTC chairman, as partner … Quarterly Co. hires Mitch Lowe, ex-Netflix and Redbox, as CEO … Madison Square Garden Co. hires
Named as new FTC senior staff: Deborah Feinstein, ex-Arnold & Porter, as Bureau of Competition director; Jessica Rich promoted to Bureau of Consumer Protection director; Jonathan Nuechterlein, ex-Wilmer Cutler, to FTC general counsel; Heather Hippsley promoted to chief of staff to Chairwoman Edith Ramirez … Clear Channel hires Nathan Daschle, ex-Ruck.us, as executive vice president-political strategy … Karim Michel Sabbagh to succeed Romain Bausch as SES CEO when he retires next April … News Corp. promotes Janet Nova to executive vice president/deputy group general counsel, 21st Century Fox new media and entertainment assets company … Boingo Wireless adds Terry Jones, Travelocity, to board.
Charter Communications hires Catherine Bohigian, ex-Cablevision, as executive vice president-government affairs, effective July 8, replacing Robert Quicksilver, leaving company … Comcast promotions last week include Gerard Lewis to chief privacy officer, senior vice president and deputy general counsel, and Slade Mitchell to vice president-architecture, technology and product … IDC promotes Vice President Ricardo Villate to lead Latin American operations, with Raul Ceja leaving company to pursue personal projects for Mexican nonprofits … Lobbying registration: General Communication, Dentons US, effective April 26.
News Corp. Chief Financial Officer David DeVoe to retire, remain on the board, and be a senior advisor to firm; John Nallen promoted to senior executive vice president and CFO of new separate company to be named 21st Century Fox and hold the News Corp. media and entertainment assets, and all changes effective July 1 … WorldLink cable and broadcast multi-platform ad firm hires Larry Strumwasser, ex-MMT, as executive vice president … LIN TV hires Kimberly Davis as vice president-human resources, succeeding Daniel Donohue, retiring effective July 5, and René LaSpina, ex-Newport Television, as president/general manager, WIVB-TV and WNLO-TV Buffalo … Altman Vilandrie & Co. consultant hires Aaron Cohn, ex-Endeavour Partners and Mercator Partners, as principal on telecom, media and technology issues, based in Boston office … FCC names to Technological Advisory Council: Aon Mujtaba, Apple, replacing Bud Tribble; Brian Fontes, National Emergency Number Association; Mark Bregman, Neustar; Pierre Devries, Silicon Flatirons; Ramani Pandurangan, XO, replacing Randy Nicklas; and Vish Nandlall, Ericsson North America.
House Judiciary Committee adds as member Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., who was sworn in to Congress June 5 … Debrea Terwilliger, ex-Nevada Public Utilities Commission, rejoins Wilkinson Barker as partner in Denver office, advising on energy and state regulation … News Corp. promotes Ward Platt to chief operating officer, Fox International Channels, and CEO of the unit’s National Geographic Channels International, and Zubin Gandevia to president, Fox International Channels Asia; Ed Delaney, ex-YES Network, named executive vice president-operations, Fox Sports Media Group, new position … Saban Brands hires Janet Scardino, ex-Viggle, as chief operating officer … Clear Channel promotes Kelly Kibler to senior vice president-operations … KMB Design Group engineering firm hires Neil Palmer, ex-WesTower Communications, as regional vice president-telecom, and head of its new Dallas office.
SoftBank raised its offer for control of Sprint Nextel Monday to $21.6 billion in an attempt to prevail over a counteroffer from Dish Network. SoftBank’s revised bid would buy 78 percent of Sprint; SoftBank’s initial $20.1 billion offer would have involved only 70 percent of the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier. SoftBank’s revised offer also increased the amount of cash involved by $4.5 billion to $16.6 billion (http://bit.ly/13UZWC7). Sprint subsequently delayed a shareholder vote on SoftBank’s bid, which had been set for Wednesday, to June 25. The carrier said its board and special committee determined Dish’s proposal “is not reasonably likely to lead to a ’superior offer.'” Sprint had been engaged in due diligence talks with Dish since May 21 over its proposed $25.5 billion counteroffer, but has ended all discussions with the company because it has “not put forward an actionable offer,” Sprint said (http://bit.ly/13UZWC7). SoftBank’s revised bid won the support of hedge fund Paulson & Co., Sprint’s second-largest stockholder, which had previously supported Dish’s counteroffer. Paulson now intends to vote all of its 231 million shares in favor of SoftBank, referring in a statement to the company’s “expertise in the wireless area and a strategic vision which will make Sprint a formidable competitor in the future” (http://prn.to/18pVBNz). Dish said in a statement that it “will analyze the revised SoftBank bid as we consider our strategic options.” Following SoftBank’s revised offer for Sprint, top minority Clearwire stockholder Crest Financial asked Clearwire’s board to allow stockholders to reject Sprint’s buyout offer for Clearwire and pursue a “direct, competitive bidding process” that includes full consideration of Dish’s counteroffer for at least 25 percent of the company (http://bit.ly/13V8fxN). Clearwire stockholders are set to vote on Sprint’s bid Thursday. SoftBank’s revised bid for Sprint shows its desire for Clearwire’s spectrum “has only increased,” and Clearwire stockholders “should therefore receive the benefit of SoftBank’s sweetened deal,” Crest Financial said in a news release. “If Sprint wishes to accomplish its plan of locking up Clearwire for its ultimate suitor, it must pay an adequate price that reflects the true value of the Company." -- JP
BakerHostetler adds two telecommunications lawyers to its Washington office: Gary Lutzker as partner and Christopher Redding as Of Counsel. Both are ex-Dow Lohnes … Changes at the Paley Center for Media: Diane Lewis advanced to executive vice president-programming; Maureen Reidy, ex-Argus Group, named chief marketing officer; and Maxim Thorne, ex-BOS Development, named executive vice president-development.
Lobbying registrations: SoundExchange, Legislative Strategies and Solutions, effective June 4.