President Barack Obama plans to nominate Howard Husock, Manhattan Institute, to the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting … Vidyo hires Steve Lehman, ex-Thomson Reuters, as general counsel … CBS hires Ray Hopkins, ex-YES Network, as president, television networks distribution, new position … Discovery Communications hires Arjan Hoekstra, ex-Eurosport Asia-Pacific, as president/managing director, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, effective Sept. 1, and promotes Rahul Johri to senior vice president/general manager, South Asia, and head of revenue, pan-regional ad sales and Southeast Asia … Nielsen hires Kate Vanek, ex-Stanley Black & Decker, as senior vice president-investor relations, effective July 8 … Accenture hires Prith Banerjee, ex-ABB Group, as managing director-global technology research & development, Technology Growth Platform … Time Warner’s Turner Broadcasting System promotes Rachel Brill to vice president-unscripted programming, TNT Originals.
CBS promotes Joseph Ianniello to chief operating officer, and he'll continue to oversee all financial operations and have oversight of negotiations for digital streaming, retransmission consent fees and reverse compensation from affiliates … Discovery Communications promotes: Marc Etkind to general manager, Destination America, and Amy Savitsky to senior vice president-program development, TLC … Univision Communications elevates Sandra Smester to senior vice president-programming, Univision Network.
FCC’s Bob Ratcliffe, who was Media Bureau deputy chief, named Enforcement Bureau acting chief, as ex-Chief Michele Ellison recently named FCC chief of staff (CD May 31 p2) … Microsoft hires Sharon Gillett, ex-FCC Wireline Bureau chief, as principal technology policy strategist, based in Cambridge, Mass. … Liberty Global promotes Dana Strong to Virgin Media chief operating officer following Liberty’s buy of Virgin, effective July 1, succeeding Andrew Barron, leaving after the deal’s completion to pursue new opportunities, as Strong remains UPC Ireland chairman … Internet Association hires Tom Manatos, ex-Presidential Inaugural Committee, as director-government affairs … CBS promotes David Berson to president, CBS Sports … Social-TV company never.no hires Taco Nieuwenhuis, ex-CMG/Logica/Acision, as chief technology officer … Machine-to-machine wireless product company Digi International adds to board: Satbir Khanuja, DataSphere Technologies, and Girish Rishi, Motorola Solutions.
HTC promotes Amy Wolverton to vice president-government affairs … Time Warner hires Chris Wilson, ex-TechAmerica, as vice president-public policy … Syniverse mobile services company for carriers and ISPs hires Ed Lewis, ex-Belden Partners, as chief strategy officer … Discovery Communications promotes Matthew Kelly to vice president-development and production, Discovery Channel … Lobbying registrations: TechAmerica, Rubin Strategies, effective May 20 … Telecom engineering company MarCel Partners, Turner Pollard Strategies, effective April 17 … Members of 2013 Advisory Council for Free Speech Week include: Chris Dodd, MPAA, chairman; Gordon Smith, NAB; Michael Powell, NCTA; Caroline Little, Newspaper Association of America; Bob Pittman, Clear Channel; Cary Sherman, RIAA; Gary Shapiro, CEA; Walter McCormick, USTelecom.
House Communications Subcommittee Communications Director Debbee Hancock left Friday, no plans disclosed … Discovery Communications promotes Howard Lee to executive vice president-production & development, TLC … ADT Corp. hires Kathleen McLean, ex-FairPoint Communications, as senior vice president-chief information officer … Nexstar moves Albert Gutierrez to vice president/general manager of KTAB-TV Abilene, effective June 3.
News Corp. promotes Bill Dallman to vice president/news director, for Fox Sports 1 network that starts Aug. 17 … Obsidian Analysis homeland and national security firm hires Jason McNamara, ex-Federal Emergency Management Agency, as vice president, overseeing projects for state and local clients … Raycom hires Holly Steuart, ex-Newport Television, as vice president/general manager, WTVM Columbus, Ga., replacing Lee Brantley, retiring effective July 31 … Lobbying registrations: National Alliance of State Broadcast Associations, Capitol Insight, effective May 1 … MPAA and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center, both Sentinel Worldwide, effective April 25 and May 13 respectively.
CBS Executive Vice President-Planning, Policy and Government Affairs Marty Franks retiring, effective Sept. 30 … Senate confirmed Claire Kelly and Mark Barnett as judges on the U.S. Court of International Trade … Source Photonics hires Doug Wright, ex-United Technologies, as president and CEO, succeeding CEO Near Margalit, named chief product officer, new position at provider of optical communication products for telecom systems and data networks … Neustar hires John Caldwell, ex-National Geographic Society, as vice president-media and new ventures … RLJ Entertainment hires Drew Wilson, ex-Discovery Communications, as chief financial officer, succeeding John Avagliano, who left to pursue other opportunities … Turner Broadcasting System hires Chris Linn, ex-MTV, as truTV president and head of programming … Journal Communications promotes WTVF Nashville President/General Manager Debbie Turner to vice president of the company … Uber hires Andrew Noyes, ex-Facebook and Warren Communications News, to manage communications and be based in San Francisco office, effective June 17.
News Corp. says Mike Darnell, president-alternative entertainment, Fox Broadcasting, decided to leave at end of June … International Datacasting Corp. names Doug Lowther, recently hired from Irdeto as president and CEO, to board … Red Bend Software mobile software device management firm promotes Motoharu Fujimura to country manager for Japan … Lobbying registration: Cyber Secure America Coalition, Vatoca Partners, effective April 16.
Nominations by President Barack Obama sent to Senate: Daniel Sepulveda, ex-aide to then-Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to be deputy assistant secretary of State for international communications and information policy, and U.S. coordinator for international communications and information policy; Kara Stein for SEC commissioner term expiring June 5, 2017, replacing Elisse Walter, whose term expired; and also to be on SEC Michael Piwowar for term expiring June 5, 2018, replacing Troy Paredes, term expiring … Western Telecommunications Alliance hires Noah Cherry, ex-St. Ledger-Roty Neuman & Olson, as director-government affairs, with focus on video regulation and cybersecurity, effective June 3 … Khosla Ventures hires Benjamin Ling, ex-Badoo, to be member of the venture capital firm’s investment staff … New directors for forthcoming split-up News Corp. are, for the 21st Century Fox broadcast and cable company: Delphine Arnault, Christian Dior; Jacques Nasser, One Equity Partners; Robert Silberman, Strayer Education; and for new News Corp. publishing company: John Elkann, Exor; Ana Paula Pessoa, Brunswick Group; Masroor Siddiqui, Naya Management; and Robert Thomson, to be CEO of that company … Association of Cable Communicators board elections include: Anthony Surratt, Time Warner Cable, as president; Annie Howell, Crown Media, first vice president-membership; Catherine Frymark, Discovery Communications, second vice president-programs; Tom Larsen, Mediacom, secretary; and Brian Dietz, NCTA, treasurer.
Tribune Co. hires Jimmy de Castro, ex-Content Factory, as president/general manager, WGN(AM) Chicago, effective June 3 … Viacom hires Dion Vlachos, ex-Disney, as senior vice president-retail sales and marketing, Nickelodeon, replacing Ron Johnson, recently promoted to executive vice president-Nickelodeon and Viacom consumer products, Viacom International Media Networks … Hearst Television promotes Charles Wolfertz to president/general manager of WTAE-TV Pittsburgh effective June 1, replacing Michael Hayes, previously elevated (CD May 20 p16) … FCC names Betsy Wergin, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, to Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations, filling slot recently vacated by Phil Montgomery, Wisconsin Public Service Commission … Lobbying registrations: Telecom service provider Innovative Companies, Bingham McCutchen, effective May 20 … Intel, Peck Madigan Jones, effective April 8.