Category: People

Paul Condolora has been promoted from vp/gm to svp/gm for Cartoon Network New Media with expanded duties that include further developing new Cartoon Network and Adult Swim-branded products and services for burgeoning distribution platforms such as broadband, VOD, wireless and interactive television. Based in Atlanta, Condolora will continue to report to Mark Norman, svp of business operations for Cartoon Network U.S. and Boomerang.

Senior colorist Simone Grattarola joins Rushes expanding telecine department following on from the recent announcement of a multi-million pound investment at Rushes for 2006.

Paul McGuire is the new svp, communications, The CW, the new fifth broadcast television network, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Ent. and CBS Corp. scheduled to launch in fall 2006. Dawn Ostroff, who is slated to become The CW's president of entertainment, made the announcement.

Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook announced to studio employees via email that Don Hahn, producer at Walt Disney Feature Animation, will assume the role of interim head of WDFA until the Pixar acquisition is complete.

Animation website CGCHAR (www.cgchar-animation.com) first published the full text of the email which reads:

Veteran feature development exec Julia Pistor has been promoted from svp to evp, Nickelodeon Movies, overseeing the development, production and release of all feature films produced under the Nickelodeon Movies banner, part of the newly formed MTV Networks Kids and Family Group. Pistor had been svp of the division since 2000.

Disney Channel has recruited Emmy Award-winning animator Mike Moon to further build its animated series business as vp, animated series. This was part of a trio of promotions, which includes moving Adam Bonnett up from vp to svp, original series and Jeff Brustrom has been named vp, live-action series.

Gary Marsh, president, entertainment, Disney Channel Worldwide made the announcements. Bonnett will continue to report to Marsh. Brustrom and Moon will report to Bonnett.

Terry Press moves from head of marketing for DreamWorks SKG for the past 10 years to DreamWorks Animation as worldwide head of marketing.

Press joins the animation company now that DreamWorks SKG has been acquired by Paramount Pictures. Paramount is responsible for the distribution of DreamWorks Animation films. Press will be the DreamWorks Animation senior liaison with the marketing team at Paramount.

Rick Sands, most recently the president/coo of DreamWorks SKG and the former coo of Miramax Films, has been named coo of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM). In this newly created position, Sands takes on the initial responsibilities of leveraging and managing the world's largest modern film and television library across all platforms, including the new media landscape of internet and mobile as well as the traditional channels of distribution television, video and international.

Daniel Taylor is stepping down from his post as president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM), as of Jan. 31, 2006, having completed the first phase of MGM's transition to its new business model as well as restructuring MGM's operations.