Heather Jones also promoted to Executive Vice President, Content & Creative, MTVN UK, reporting to Lynn
London, Thursday 8th March 2007: David Lynn has been appointed Executive Vice President and Managing Director, MTV Networks UK & Ireland. The news was announced today by MTV Networks International (MTVNI) President Bob Bakish, to whom Lynn will report. Lynn will be responsible for all of MTVN’s UK operations, including 17 TV channels, 16 Web sites and 4 mobile TV channels spanning its MTV, MTV Flux, VH1, and TMF brands, as well as its interests in its joint venture businesses with BSkyB – Nickelodeon UK and Paramount Comedy Channel UK. Lynn is currently Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Nickelodeon UK, which is the top-rated children’s network in the UK.
Reporting to Lynn in a critical role leading MTVN UK’s music and comedy brands, Heather Jones has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Content & Creative. Her responsibilities encompass all multi-platform content and brand strategy for MTVN’s music and comedy brands – including linear TV, digital media and the related UK-based production operations.
“Having orchestrated two of the UK’s hottest media brand successes in Nickelodeon and Paramount Comedy, David and Heather will be a dynamic, talented, management duo to lead our biggest international business,” Bakish commented. “In driving Nickelodeon UK’s #1 position, David demonstrated his unique ability to combine creative brand leadership with business success in the most competitive and vibrant international kids’ media marketplace. With Heather’s expanded role, David and his team will aggressively ramp up our efforts to deliver breakthrough creativity and maximise our multi-platform brand positions across our UK portfolio.”
Lynn added: “The brands that MTV Networks represents are among some of the most popular in the UK and globally. Our audience ranges from 4 to 45 and we provide them with great entertainment through a range of innovative and well loved programmes and digital content. I am honoured and excited to be taking the helm of arguably the UK’s most exciting family of channels at a key stage in our evolution towards true multi-platform delivery.”
Lynn is expected to take up his new appointment in the next few weeks and will continue to oversee the operations at Nickelodeon UK until a successor is named. During his tenure at Nickelodeon UK, Lynn strengthened the network’s #1 UK market position in one of the UK’s most competitive broadcast markets. In addition he instigated Nicktrition, Nickelodeon’s groundbreaking healthy eating campaign for young children, steered the company through its HFSS negotiations with Ofcom and launched Nick Jr as well the brand’s first broadband channels in the UK Turbonick and Nick Jr Video, kickstarting its digital strategy. The brands achievements under his leadership were recognised in 2006 when Nickelodeon UK was awarded Channel of the Year at the Children’s Baftas.
Jones added responsibility for MTV Networks UK’s music channel portfolio in January, having served as Paramount Comedy Channel UK’s SVP, Managing Director. 2006 was a year of unprecedented growth for the Paramount Comedy Channel with share and ratings up 50% year on year (2006 vs 2005) and the channel winning both Best General Entertainment Channel and Best Channel Marketing at the Broadcast Digital Channel Awards.
Note to Editors:
About MTV Networks UK & Ireland:
MTV Networks is the largest television network in the world and a leading creator of programming and content across all media platforms, with 111 channels and 94 websites reaching more than 440 million households in 167 countries worldwide.
MTV Networks UK & Ireland operates 3 channel groups – Comedy, Kids and Music. Our 9 branded music channels comprise of MTV, VH1, MTV Hits, MTV Base, MTV Dance, MTV2, MTV Flux, VH1 Classic and TMF. They feature the best in music alongside popular shows such as Pimp My Ride, Newlyweds, Punk'd, Dirty Sanchez and Cribs. MTV Network's music channels are available on Sky, Cable (through Virgin Media) and Freeview, reaching larger audiences than at any time in UK history, with an average of over 17 million viewers each month according to BARB research.
Paramount and Nickelodeon in the UK are part of the MTV Networks International portfolio of channels through joint ventures with BSKYB.
In addition, MTV Networks is a pioneer in the new and exciting world of digital media, winning awards for its interactive and online services, as well as being the first media company to offer made-for-mobile 3G video content. Since 2005 MTV Networks UK & Ireland has offered mobile distribution of four TV channels (MTV Snax, MTV Trax, Paramount and Nickelodeon). MTV Networks UK & Ireland recently launched MTV Overdrive, an on-demand, broadband entertainment and music service where users can view the best of MTV shows free and create and build their own playlists, and MTV Flux, a brand new social network community stretching across online mobile and television.
MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom.
