Coda

WICT CEO Mosley Moves On

Chantilly, Va. — Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, president and CEO of Women in Cable Telecommunications, is exiting the organization after more than eight years at the helm.

She is joining USA Track & Field in the newly created post of chief of sport performance.

Mosley was the gold medalist in the 100-meter hurdles at the 1984 Olympics. She will leave WICT as of June 30.

WICT has named Parthavi Das, senior vice president of strategy and initiatives, to be the interim head of the organization, which represents more than 7,800 members.

Jennifer Danger, senior vice president of domestic distribution for Discovery Communications and the immediate past chair of WICT, will head up the search for a replacement.

“My time with WICT has been one of the most significant experiences of my professional career,” Mosley said in announcing her exit.

“I have been fortunate enough to work with remarkable leaders, first hand, and take part in incredible changes in this dynamic industry,” she said.

Ellen East, chair of WICT’s board of directors and executive vice president and communications officer of Time Warner Cable, said Mosley “has made an indelible mark on the organization,” adding that “during her tenure, WICT has nearly tripled its membership and created signature programs that are widely respected in the industry.”

NCTA president Kyle McSlarrow responded to the news by saying: “We are proud of Benita for taking on new challenges at USA Track & Field, but will miss her energy and leadership. Our entire industry owes her a debt of gratitude for her dedication to advancing the careers and aspirations of women in our industry.”

— John Eggerton

TVN Avails Itself of a Partner

Sherman Oaks, Calif. — Video-on-demand provider TVN Entertainment Corp. is merging with IPTV content aggregator Avail Media, creating a new entity promising to provide a full-service, multiplatform video distribution service for cable and telephone companies.

One cable-industry executive briefed on the deal said TVN’s owners were selling out to the new investors for $80 million.

While not commenting on the terms overall, TVN president Doug Sylvester told Multichannel News that majority owner Morgan Stanley will sell out to the new owners.

Existing Avail backers Columbia Capital, Novak Biddle Venture Partners, Valhalla Partners and Pioneer Ventures, plus the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, are investing in the new entity “to create a scalable and extensible platform enabling delivery of next-generation video distribution services,” the companies said.

Avail itself was created from the late 2006 merger of IPTV startup BroadStream Communications and Auroras Entertainment.

Avail CEO Ramu Potarazu will head the new company that combines Avail and TVN.

— R. Thomas Umstead and Kent Gibbons

TWC Drops HDNet

New York — Time Warner Cable will stop offering HDNet and HDNet Movies across all of its systems effective May 31.

The move by Time Warner Cable is a blow to the Mark Cuban-backed HDNet.

Asked why the company was dropping HDNet, Time Warner Cable director of corporate public relations Robyn Watson said, “There’s a limited appeal for the programming.”

Cuban, in an e-mail to Multichannel News, said he would not comment “on ongoing negotiations” but took issue with characterizing HDNet’s programming as lacking appeal. He wrote: “...millions of viewers...enjoy our unique and exclusive programming.”

Time Warner Cable said that on or about June 1 it will launch MAV TV HD as part of its HD Xtra tier. In New York City, at least, TWC this month also added Smithsonian HD.

— Todd Spangler

Win for Discovery/Hasbro

Washington — The Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department have cleared the way for toy manufacturer Hasbro to take a 50% stake, worth some $300 million, in the new joint-venture Discovery Kids channel.

Discovery plans to team with Hasbro to populate Discovery Kids with programming based on Hasbro toys.

The FTC last Wednesday issued an early termination notice of its competitive review.

The deal was required to be submitted for Justice and FTC pre-merger approval per a standard Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust review for potential anti-competitive harm.

— John Eggerton