Sprint Wireless hires Stephen De Wees, ex-DBSD North America, as senior vice president-corporate development … Fiber-to-the-Home Council Latin America chapter elects committee chairmen: Eduardo Jedruch, Wiltel, for technology; Liza Poe, Corning, marketing; Reinaldo Jeronymo; Prysmian Group, finance; and Jorge Rivadulla, Calix, regulatory.
Cable programmer Q1 results: HSN sales rose 5 percent to $747.3 million, from the year-ago quarter, as the average price for which the home-shopping channel sold products rose 2 percent to $64.69. Operating income rose 20 percent to $49.7 million. … Martha Stewart Living sales fell 5.3 percent to $49.8 million amid “an anticipated decrease” of 31 percent to $5.4 million in cable sales “due to lower levels of new programming for Hallmark Channel,” the company said Wednesday. The company should return to profitability this year because of reduced costs for that platform, it said. The operating loss narrowed to $4.2 million from $6.8 million.
Charter Communications hires John Bickham, ex-Cablevision, as chief operating officer … Turner Broadcasting System promotes Michael Wright to president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies … Spring Wireless hires: Kevin Lee, ex-Axeso Payment Solutions, to chief financial officer; Conor Keane, ex-Global 360, to senior vice president for marketing and business development.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski hires Renee Wentzel, ex-Wiltshire & Grannis, as legal adviser, and names Charles Mathias, an acting aide, special counsel … AMC Networks promotes Jennifer Caserta to IFC president-general manager … Crown Media Family Networks moves Chad Harris to senior vice president-business development, new position; hires Rob Perna, ex-Universal Music Group, as vice president-financial planning and analysis … Cox Enterprises elects Christopher Williams, Williams Capital, to board … Internet2 hires: Danielle Rodier, ex-NTIA, named director-government relations; Erin Moore, ex-Booz Allen Hamilton, hired as an attorney … Comverse Technology hires Philippe Tartavull, ex-Hypercom, as president, CEO and director of its Comverse Inc. business … DirecTV promotions: Tony Goncalves to run new Digital Entertainment Products organization as senior vice president; Paul Guyardo adds to duties in also running traditional ad sales and new addressable and digital platforms, named executive vice president-chief revenue and marketing officer.
Entravision Chief Operating Officer Philip Wilkinson resigns, effective May 31, remains on board … Lumos Networks changes: Timothy Biltz, ex-iPCS, hired as CEO, replacing James Hyde who had been interim CEO and will remain a director; Michael Moneymaker retiring as a director and as president … CTAM Educational Foundation board elections: John Lansing, Scripps Networks, chairman; David Watson, Comcast Cable, vice chairman; Bob Benya, In Demand, and Jill Campbell, Cox Communications, new directors.
Federal Emergency Management Agency promotes Tony Russell to superintendent of its Emergency Management Institute, effective May 6 … NAB radio board adds Erik Hellum, Townsquare Media … PBS NewsHour hires Tom Kennedy, multimedia consultant, to head online news operations as managing editor of digital news … Lobbyist Registrations: Alcatel-Lucent, Mayer Brown, effective March 1 … Huawei, Canyon Snow Consulting, effective April 2. … Turner Broadcasting System promotes Jason DeMarco to vice president of strategic marketing and promotions for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim.
FCC details Assistant International Bureau Chief David Strickland to House Communications Subcommittee through April 8, 2013, to advise Democrats on communications and technology issues … Turner Broadcasting System hires Raghunadh Polavarapu, ex-consultant to the cable programmer, as vice president of digital operations for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, new position.
DuJuan McCoy, Bayou City Broadcasting, appointed to NAB TV board, effective in June, replacing Madelyn Bonnot Griffin, National Communications, remaining co-chairman of small market TV advisory committee … CommScope appointments as part of reorganization: Kevin St. Cyr, ex-Berk-Tek, hired as senior vice president of enterprise solutions; Morgan Kurk changes positions to senior vice president of wireless; Ric Johnsen remains senior vice president of broadband.
RealNetworks Chief Legal Officer Tracy Daw resigns, plans unknown … Integra Telecom hires Ken Smith, ex-Serviam, as executive vice president of sales, new position … Gannett hires Jeremy Gaines, ex-MSNBC, as vice president of communications, effective May 21 … Lobbyist Registrations: Apple, Bernstein Strategy Group, effective April 13 … Netflix, Greenberg Traurig, effective Feb. 13 … National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp., Greenberg Traurig, effective March 9 … Huawei, Strategic Federal Affairs, effective April 20 … Hughes, Spangler Strategic Advisors, effective Dec. 3 … Alliance for Main Street Fairness, Barbour Griffith, effective March 15 … Dish Network, Brownstein Hyatt, effective Jan. 17.
Dish Network hires Hadass Kogan, ex-House Commerce Committee, as associate corporate counsel … Univision promotes Antonio Roman to senior vice president of national sales for the TV station group, effective May 11 … Land Mobile Communications Council board elections: Douglas Aiken, IMSA, president; Donald Vasek, Utilities Telecom Council, vice president; and Mark Crosby, secretary-treasurer; newly formed T-Band Working Group is chaired by Ralph Haller, FCAA.