Viacom Realigns Music and Entertainment Ad Sales to Create New Convergent Structure

NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today announced a realignment of its Viacom Media Networks Music and Entertainment Ad Sales group to merge its television, digital and mobile teams into a single convergent sales organization.  The convergent team will handle all sales and integrated marketing for linear and digital assets across CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Logo, Spike TV, TV Land and VH1. 

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"The lines among television, online and mobile aren't just blurring – they've been erased in terms of how our audiences consume and experience content," said Jeff Lucas, Head of Sales for Music and Entertainment.  "For a client-centric organization like ours, a convergent structure will keep us on the leading edge of marketing innovation and ensure that we continue to create value for advertisers and audiences alike."

Under the new structure, the Music and Entertainment team's former Senior Vice Presidents of Digital Ad Sales will take on new leadership roles:

• Melanie Dimemmo will serve as Senior Vice President of Digital Video Sales, focusing on video deals across the Music and Entertainment Portfolio.  She will report dually to Neil Holt and Sean Moran, Executive Vice Presidents of Ad Sales.
• Sarah Iooss will serve as Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Client Strategy, a role in which she'll be responsible for identifying partnerships with content and platform technology companies.  Sarah will report to Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, Executive Vice President of Ad Sales Strategy.
• Sharon Silverstein will serve as Senior Vice President of Multiplatform Studio Ad Sales leading the convergent team focused on the company's studio clients out of Los Angeles.  Silverstein will continue to report to Steve Agase, Senior Vice President of Ad Sales, West Coast.

Additionally, under the new convergent structure, all sales team senior vice presidents and vice presidents will assume responsibility for linear and digital business.  Both linear and digital account executives will report into the same convergent leadership.

About Viacom

Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form video, apps, games, consumer products, social media and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 160 countries and territories.  Viacom's media networks, including MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, TV Land, SPIKE, Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA, reach approximately 700 million television subscribers worldwide.  Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio, is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.   Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/viacom.

SOURCE Viacom Inc.