Ovation TV has hired Mike Pons, a former Cox Communications business development executive, as senior vice president of content distribution, managing key national accounts, and promoted its head of programming and production Scott Woodward to executive vice president.
Pons (pictured), who had been general manager, business development, at Cox, will be responsible for managing relationships with national accounts including DirecTV, Dish, AT&T U-verse and Charter Communications. He will also help develop overall strategy for maximizing distribution and revenue of Ovation’s various platforms and will oversee international and digital content distribution strategies. He is based in Santa Monica, Calif., and reports to Brad Samuels, EVP of content distribution.
Pons also co-founded, launched and served as general manager of Essential Cloud, a commercial cloud services company. Prior to Cox, he was VP and general manager of The Weather Channel Local Media. He also worked at Univision Communications, clicktex.com and JP Morgan Chase.
Woodward joined Ovation in November 2013 and has helped ramp up the network’s original programming slate, including such series as The Fashion Fund, Song by Song and A Young Doctor’s Notebook. Ovation said he is focused on introducing new series and specials in 2015, including On the Record with Mick Rock, American Canvas, The Artful Detective and the U.S. premiere of Isabella Rossellini’s Green Porno Live!
