NEW YORK, April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) today announced a new Digital Ad Sales leadership team for the Music and Entertainment brands of its Media Networks.  Under the new structure, Melanie DiMemmo and Sarah Iooss will lead Digital Ad Sales out of the company's New York headquarters, while Sharon Silverstein will oversee West Coast business out of the company's Los Angeles offices.  Tim Carroll will continue to oversee Digital Ad Sales for the Midwest region as Vice President.

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"Digital is critical to our business, and our Digital Ad Sales team is built to be nimble. We need to have the flexibility to deliver both digital and convergent solutions alike without missing a beat," said Jeff Lucas, Head of Sales, Viacom Media Networks Music and Entertainment. "Melanie, Sarah and Sharon share a deep expertise of our brands, exceptional agility in the marketplace, and the ability to help our partners get the most out of our expansive digital portfolio."

DiMemmo, Iooss and Silverstein each assume the title of Senior Vice President, Digital Ad Sales for Music and Entertainment, with responsibility for a portfolio that includes digital platforms of MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike and TV Land, including Mobile.  Additionally, each will take on specific areas of responsibility:

• Silverstein will oversee digital ad product development for the Entertainment Group, which includes COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike and TV Land
• Iooss will oversee digital ad product development for the Music and Logo Group, which includes MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo
• DiMemmo will serve as the Music & Entertainment liaison with the Digital Portfolio group that serves clients seeking solutions across Viacom Media Networks' digital portfolio.

The new leadership team furthers Viacom Media Networks' recent efforts to fully integrate its linear and digital sales teams.  By closely aligning linear and digital sales, the company seeks to meet increasing client demand for convergent marketing solutions, even as it delivers linear and digital-specific solutions.   The structure is designed to capture value from the company's cross-platform entertainment experiences, industry-leading social media engagement with consumers, and innovative digital ad product portfolio.

Silverstein, Iooss and DiMemmo are all veterans of Viacom.  Melanie DiMemmo most recently served as Senior Vice President of Digital Portfolio Sales for Viacom Media Networks, overseeing a national sales team responsible for selling digital advertising across the company's Media Networks.  DiMemmo has held a succession of positions in Viacom's Ad Sales organization, including National Vice President of Advertising Sales for VH1.com, Vice President of Sales for Nickelodeon, among other roles in linear TV sales.  DiMemmo has also worked at Entertainment Weekly, where she served as National Sales Director, and Microsoft.  In her new role, DiMemmo reports to Neil Holt, EVP, Music and Entertainment Ad Sales.

Sarah Iooss previously served as Vice President of Digital Ad Sales for the Music Group and, earlier, as Vice President of VH1.com. Prior to joining VH1, Iooss worked in Ad Sales for Spike Digital Entertainment and participated on the launch team for the Spike television network. Prior to Viacom Media Networks, Iooss worked in media sales at A&E Television Networks.  In her new role, Iooss reports to Sean Moran, EVP, Music and Entertainment Ad Sales.

Sharon Silverstein started her career at Viacom Media Networks in 2007. She has led an ad sales team on the West Coast for the past three years and has been an integral part of growing the Digital Studio business as well as other high profile West Coast accounts on all Viacom digital properties. In her new role, Silverstein reports to Jeff Lucas.

The Digital Ad Sales structure of Viacom's Nickelodeon Group is unaffected by these changes to the company's Music & Entertainment Sales team.

About Viacom

Viacom is home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms in more than 160 countries and territories. With over 2,500 interactive media properties reaching a global audience of nearly 700 million, Viacom's leading brands include MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, Spike TV and Tr3s. Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio and creator of many of the most beloved motion pictures, continues today as a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. Viacom operates a large portfolio of branded digital media experiences, including many of the world's most popular properties for entertainment, community and casual online gaming.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.

SOURCE Viacom