MUMBAI: Former MTV Networks group president Judy McGrath has been promoted to the role of chairman and CEO.
McGrath takes on Viacom co-COO Tom Frestons previous role. This includes overall responsibility for the networks including MTV international, Nickelodeon, Spike TV. Meanwhile MTV Networks president and COO Mark Rosenthal has left the company.
It was last year that McGrath became MTV Networks group president. She had taken on the responsibility of MTV, MTV2, VH1, CMT and Comedy Central.
What is interesting is that at the Promax&BDA Conference in New York it was McGrath who made the suggestion to Promax&BDA president and CEO Jim Chabin that India should have its own conference. That came about as McGrath recognised India as playing an increasingly important role in the creative space.
Coming back to the promotion Freston added, "Judy is the perfect fit for this job. Ours is a business of creative vision, smart brand building, unrelenting consumer focus and good execution. We are riding at an all-time high now, clearly the industry leader, and I feel very proud and fortunate to be able to turn this job over to Judy and very much look forward to seeing her influence on the company grow and grow."
McGrath said, "I couldnt be more excited and honoured to take on this new role. Over the past 17 years, Tom set the tone for the most unique and vibrant culture in the media world.
"My top priority is to continue to make this the best place for talented people to do their best work. I inherit the strongest management team in the business in Herb Scannell and Bill Roedy, and I cant wait to get started on working with them and their respective teams to take MTV Networks boldly into the future. This will be fun."
MTV claims to be operating at record highs, from both a creative and business perspective. It claims a reach of 400 million viewers in 164 countries and 18 languages through 94 channels worldwide.
MTV's parent Viacom issued a release stating that it was under McGrath's direction that MTV grew from a maverick cable channel to a maverick global brand that has come to symbolise a culture, a style, an attitude and a vibrant musical landscape.
