Hires

Cloud-based interactive TV specialist, ActiveVideo Networks, announced Wednesday that it has appointed consumer electronics industry veteran, Henry Choy, as VP of business development, tasking him with leading a new strategic initiative to bring its CloudTV platform to consumer electronics devices (note: ActiveVideo's efforts to penetrate the cable industry appear to be enjoying some success--for more on the company's work with Time Warner Cable and Cablevision, see the interview wit

Geneva-based set-top box/digital TV technology provider, Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB), said Tuesday that it has appointed Chris Dinallo to its ADB Americas Cable team as VP of product management, tasking him with leading the team's product and project management group.

UK cable operator, Virgin Media, last week announced that it has appointed Aleks Habdank to the newly created position of director of on-demand television services. Habdank, who will start in his new position in the New Year and who will be tasked with the commercial management of Virgin Media's VOD service, joins the company from Chellomedia where he was general manager of Chello On Demand and where, according to Virgin Media, he was "a founder member of the management team that helped set up transactional TV services across Europe." His resume also includes stints at ntl and Zone Vision Group.

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

Digital TV media planning and implementation services company, Leap Media Group, has named Tim Hanlon and Barry S. Fischer as the first members of its Board of Advisors. According to the company, the board will be comprised of "leaders from the sales and agency sides of television and interactive media," and will provide strategic advice and guidance on market opportunities.

CloverLeaf Digital, a Brooklyn-based interactive TV applications developer that specializes in building and managing localized "walled-garden" services, said Monday that it has appointed Carolyn Hillman Baird to the newly created position of VP of sales. Her resume includes stints in senior sales and business development positions at Localtoolbox and MetaTV. "We are extremely pleased to be able to leverage our increasing success with independent service providers to bring on a professional of the caliber of Carolyn Hillman Baird," CloverLeaf managing partner, Lawrence Brickman, said in a prepared statement.

The BBC has named Simon Lloyd director of marketing, communications and audiences for its Future Media & Technology (FM&T) division. He will report to the BBC's director of marketing, communications and audiences, Sharon Baylay, and--in addition to his core duties of developing FM&T's marketing, communications and audiences strategy in accordance with the corporation's overall strategy--he will play a role in the strategic leadership and development of the division, the BBC says: he will have a seat on FM&T's board and is expected to work closely with the division's director, Erik Huggers.

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

Fox's Fox Filmed Entertainment (FFE) arm on Monday announced the formation of Fox Digital Studios (FDS), a new group dedicated to the development, production and distribution of original and derivative programming for initial release on new and emerging media platforms. The group's creative will be overseen by former Fox Atomic executive (note: Fox Atomic is now defunct), David Worthen Brooks, who will be tasked with guiding its content strategy and all creative aspects of show development and production.

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

Michael Collette, once a high-profile figure in the US interactive TV industry, has resurfaced as CEO of a start-up called FHTML, which has developed a programming language that is designed to enable expanded use of rich, interactive media on the Web. He will be tasked with leading the roll-out of the company's flagship product, FluidHtml, raising capital, building out its staff and ramping up its operations.

Patrick Barry--VP of connected TV at Yahoo!, who has become the public face of that company's OTT/TV widget efforts (note: in January, the company announced deals for its TV widget platform with TV manufacturers LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony and Vizio)--is leaving the company "to move on to new projects and aspirations." The following email from Barry, in which he announces to his staff that he will resign his position at the end of the month, was obtained Monday by TechCrunch:

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Move Networks--a Utah-based company which offers patent-pending adaptive-bitrate technologies for delivering live and on-demand, HD-quality, buffering-free broadband video (its technologies are used by, among others, ABC, CWI, Discovery Communications, ESPN, Fox, Sky News, Televisa and Warner Bros.; and are also being used for Comcast's On Demand Online trial), and which earlier this year entered the IPTV space by acquiring UK-based Inuk Networks (see article published on itvt.com, April 22nd)--said Monday that it has named Guy Beverlin

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue: