New Axesstel board members: Mark Fruehan, AdMarvel, replacing Jai Bhagat, and Patrick Gray, Axesstel chief financial officer … Wayne Godsey, ex-RTDNA president, to retire as president-general manager, KMBC-TV Kansas City … T-Mobile promotes John Diefenbach to vice president-general manager, New England region, new position … Paul Reaney, ex-Fremantle Media, becomes ITV Studios America vice president-development … Koby Zontag, RRsat, joins World Teleport Association board … TDS Telecommunications names Phil LaForge, ex-CA Technologies, chief operating officer, Hosted & Managed Services LLC.
Facebook hires former White House spokesman Joe Lockhart as vice president-global communications … National Cable TV Coop names Rich Fickle, ex-Deluxe Entertainment, president-CEO … Fisher Communications board member Paul Bible becomes non-executive chairman … MSG Media hires Andrew Biggers, ex-Fox Cable Networks, as senior vice president, content distribution; Alison Hellman promoted to vice president, affiliate marketing.
Bill Krivoshik, ex-Marsh & McLennan, becomes Time Warner chief information officer, new position … Betty Ellen Berlamino, ex-WPIX-TV New York, becomes CBS TV stations senior vice president-sales, new position … Changes at ECI Telecom: Rafi Maor moves up to chairman, replaced by Shimon Bart, ex-Keter Plastic … Syniverse promotes Jeff Gordon to president-CEO, replacing Tony Holcombe, becoming vice chair … Jack Olson, ex-Adelphia, becomes Viamedia vice president-business development.
Former FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth to head Hudson Institute’s new Center for Economics of the Internet … Brad Gillen, formerly wireline aide to ex-FCC Commissioner Meredith Baker, now in Wireline Bureau advising on Universal Service Fund reform, agency officials say … Radio Television Digital News Association Executive Director Jane Nassiri steps down to pursue new ventures, effective in September; search committee appointed … Stephanie Craig, ex-Public Strategies, becomes TechAmerica communications director.
AT&T promotes Debbie Storey to chief diversity officer and senior vice president-talent development … New NAB board members: Paul Karpowicz, Meredith Corp., joint board chairman, succeeding Steve Newberry, Commonwealth Broadcasting; on TV board, Marci Burdick, Schurz Communications, chairman; Michael Fiorile, Dispatch Broadcast Group, first vice chairman; Dunia Shive, Belo, second vice chairman; Jack Abernethy, Fox TV Stations, designated network seat; on radio board, Don Benson, Lincoln Financial Media, second vice chairman; Marc Morgan, Cox Media Group, major group representative … Stacy Kreisberg, ex-Hansen, Jacobson, becomes WE tv senior vice president-business affairs … Gregg Seibert adds title of Cablevision chief financial officer … CISAC, International Confederation of Societies of Authors & Composers, names Olivier Hinnewinkel, ex-Eurovision Asia-Pacific, director general … Washington Post Co. elects Larry Thompson, ex-PepsiCo, to board.
Lawrence Jacobs to step down as News Corp. executive vice president and group general counsel, to pursue other opportunities … RealNetworks promotes Scott Uomoto to senior vice president.
Thomas Stortz rejoins Level 3 Communications as chief administrative officer … National Cable TV Cooperative Executive Vice President Scott Abbott resigned, effective June 17 … Univision names Lee Davis, ex-CBS Radio, executive vice president-sales, Univision Radio … New vice presidents-national sales at ION Media Networks: Kendra Cleary, ex-Turner Broadcasting; Corry Hart, ex-IFC; and Laura Diefenbach, promoted … Cox Media promotes Tom Raponi to vice president-general manager, KTVU and KICU, both San Francisco, replacing Tim McVay, moving to same position at WSB-TV Atlanta … XTAR names James Chambers, ex-DRS Technical Services, to newly-created position of vice president, engineering … Comcast promotes Johnnie Giles to executive director-external affairs … Orbit Communication Systems names Thomas Lipari, ex-Caprock, director-sales and business development.
FCC hires Robert Naylor, ex-U.S. Small Business Administration, as chief information officer … Connie Durcsak, ex-PCIA, becomes Utilities Telecom Council president-CEO … FCC changes: Marius Schwartz, Georgetown University, becomes chief economist in Office of Strategic Planning & Policy Analysis; Outgoing Chief Economist Jonathan Baker and Gregory Rosston, deputy director-Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, will both be senior economists for transactions to work on FCC reviews of AT&T/T-Mobile and AT&T/Qualcomm transactions.
Former FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani leaves Spiegel & McDiarmid law firm to look for new opportunities … T-Mobile promotes Brigette Jackson to vice president-general manager, Michigan/Indiana region … NAB departing Executive Vice President Laurie Knight (CD June 3 p10) named Association of American Railroads senior vice president of government affairs, effective July 25 … Vivian Schiller, ex-NPR, hired by NBC News as chief digital officer, new position, effective mid-July.
Neustar names Stephanie Weiner, ex-U.S. Department of Energy, vice president-legal and external affairs, new position … NBCUniversal promotes Jay Bockhaus to executive vice president of strategy and operations and Jared DiPalma to senior vice president of finance, both new positions for entertainment and digital networks in the integrated media business … L.A. Times Media Group names Emily Smith, ex-Disney Interactive, senior vice president, digital … WWE elects Patricia Gottesman, Crimson Hexagon, to board … Chyron hires Sim Kolliner, ex-Harris BCD, as vice president of professional services.