Graden to Head VH1 Programming
By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 5/15/2002 3:30:00 AM
As expected, MTV: Music Television entertainment president Brian Graden will head up VH1's programming duties as part of the network's recent executive restructuring.
Graden -- who oversees content for all of MTV Networks, as well as its MTV.com Web site -- will be responsible for developing programming to help resuscitate VH1's struggling ratings. He will report to MTV and MTV2 president Van Toffler.
VH1's April ratings were down 25 percent from the same period last year, and several recently launched series have yet to break through on the network.
In fact, VH1 recently canceled original late-night talk show Late World with Zach after only two months due to poor ratings.
'VH1 has been and remains a great brand and has terrific brand identity, so my job is to create great content worthy of that brand and to create it fast,' Graden said.
He will look at a mix of original series and specials for the network, while retaining high-profile programming such as My VH1 Music Awards.
'The channel has done very well with specials, and those shows often have a fast turnaround time, so you can expect to see a lot of that pretty quickly,' Graden said.
'With series, you're taking a gamble that a multimillion-dollar investment will hopefully pay dividends down the road. We'll have to take the right time to develop those, whether its three months or three years down the road,' he added.
Graden was the second major VH1 executive announcement under the watch of MTV Networks Music Group president Judy McGrath. Last month, she named former MTV marketing executive Christina Norman as VH1's executive vice president and general manager.
'Brian is uniquely suited for this role in taking VH1 to the next level, given his extraordinary track record at MTV,' McGrath said in a prepared statement.
MTV Networks also announced that VH1 executive VP of programming and production Fred Graver will move to an independent role as executive producer for several VH1 projects.
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