NYC-based Classic Media has appointed former AOL Time Warner exec Robert Friedman president to take its well-known properties such as Underdog, Lassie and The Lone Ranger and create new value out of them across film, television and video. Friedman will also be looking to license these characters to companies such as breakfast-cereal manufacturers for advertising and tie-ins. Friedman started his TV career in the 1980s in the original development team that created MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon.

CINAR Corp. has named former WWF Entertainment head Stuart C. Snyder its new president and CEO. Snyder has extensive management experience in video, television, film, animation and live-action entertainment, as well as contacts in the production and distribution communities plus retail and licensing. The CINAR board is counting on Snyder to return the entertainment division to profitability and broaden the range of family products.

Veteran media executive Allan Grafman joins Archie Comics Entertainment as president to expand the company's worldwide operations. His mandate is to increase the media exploitation of such characters as Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Josie and the Pussycats. Several Archie characters have been developed for films and TV shows, which Grafman will pursue as well as opportunities in video, video games, music, live events and licensing. Grafman led the turnaround and restructuring of Hallmark Entertainment where he served as XVP.

Candyce Ayn-Lund has signed on as director of business development for Atlanta-based animation firm DAGNABIT! and will represent the company to the advertising and entertainment markets. Most recently, Ayn-Lund was director of new media and broadcast development for the Atlanta studio of NY-based design house Click3X. Prior to joining Click3X, Ayn-Lund was an account manager at post-production facility Crawford Communications, where she oversaw many long and short format projects for CNN, TNT, Cartoon Network, TCM, Turner South and Turner Sports. DAGNABIT!

Janie Grace, controller of children's and youth programming at ITV, a leading broadcaster in the U.K., has quit '"by mutual agreement" shortly before the arrival of new director of programs Nigel Pickard. Grace leaves the position after two and a half years but declined to comment on her reasons for leaving. Grace and Pickard were colleagues at TVS in the '80s. She went on to head up Nickelodeon U.K. while Pickard took charge of CiTV, the children's arm of ITV. Grace later replaced Pickard at CiTV when he went on to the BBC.

Digital visual effects studio Radium has upped producer Sascha Flick to senior producer/Los Angeles. Based in Radium's Santa Monica, California location, Flick’s new position expands her reach to managing awarded projects and bidding new projects, as well as working closely with the senior production staff to maintain the cohesive structure between the San Francisco and Santa Monica offices.

Children's entertainment group Entertainment Rights has expanded its sales team and appointed Matthew Ashcroft as sales executive responsible for developing business in the key markets of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, India, Australia and New Zealand. Ashcroft's most recent position was sales executive for Fireworks International, the international distribution arm of Canadian based Fireworks Entertainment, where he was responsible for pay and free TV sales to Asia and Latin America.

John F. Hardman has been promoted to senior vice president, Kids' WB!, replacing Donna Friedman Meir, who has decamped the network to head up kids' programming and production for National Geographic Television & Film. Hardman has been with Kids' WB! for four years, and most recently served as vice president, programming and development. In his new capacity, Hardman will oversee all aspects of the development, scheduling and programming of animated and live-action series for the broadcast network.

Anthony Tabtong has joined Charlex as senior character animator, adding his talents to Charlex's growing 3D department. Tabtong moves to the company after four years at Curious Pictures as a senior 3D character animator. At Curious Pictures, Tabtong worked on spots for Nicktoons, Disney, Lugz, AT&T, Applebees, HBO and Target, among others. His past experience includes character animation for video games.

Andrea D’Amico has been appointed vice president of visual effects sales for Ascent Media, and will act as a liaison between the Ascent Media Creative Services companies, including Encore and R!OT, that provide visual effects services for feature films and television. D’Amico will also continue in her role as executive producer of visual effects with R!OT, Santa Monica.