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.
NAB board elects Charles Warfield, YMF Media, as joint board chairman, succeeding Paul Karpowicz, Meredith Corp.
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.