Comcast Hires Yahoo Exec To Run Fancast

Karin Gilford Named Senior Vice President of Fancast and Online Entertainment

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 7/17/2008 8:30:00 AM

Comcast Thursday confirmed that it has hired Karin Gilford, formerly in charge of Yahoo’s entertainment properties, to head up its Fancast video and entertainment site.

Gilford, as senior vice president of Fancast and online entertainment, will report to Comcast Interactive Media president Amy Banse.

Earlier this week reports surfaced that Gilford, who spent the past eight years at Yahoo, would join the cable company.

At Yahoo, Gilford was vice president and general manager of Yahoo Entertainment, leading programming, content and business strategy for the Web company’s movies, music, television and games sites. Among other things, Gilford was responsible for the redesign and re-launch of Yahoo TV, doubling the site’s traffic and revenue, according to Comcast.

Banse, in announcing Gilford’s hiring, said, “Her proven track record of developing and growing multiple online entertainment businesses from TV to music to movies will be a tremendous asset to Fancast and our online entertainment strategy.”

Fancast.com vice president Alix Cottrell, whom Comcast hired away from AOL in 2006, will continue to work on the site.

Gilford is charged with building and managing the Fancast online video and entertainment site, and will “seek and grow additional opportunities” for Comcast Interactive Media in the online entertainment space, Comcast said.

Before joining Yahoo, Gilford held positions in business development and finance at Paramount Pictures International Television, L.A. Digital Post and Ernst & Young. 

Fancast.com offers more than 4,000 free full-length episodes of new and old television shows from NBC, Fox, CBS, Warner Bros., Viacom and others. Comcast Interactive Media’s other online properties include Fandango, Movies.com, Comcast.net, thePlatform and Plaxo.

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