From
C21Media:
Hicks upped, Johnson out at Nick
US-based Nickelodeon has ousted its president of animation Brown Johnson in a reshuffle that places Viacom veteran Russell Hicks at the top of a new production structure.
Hicks, Nick's chief creative officer and 14-year company employee, has taken the new role of president of content development and production for the Nickelodeon Group, reporting into president Cyma Zarghami.
Concurrently, Johnson, another long-term Nick exec who has been animation chief since 2008, is leaving.
Some will point to falling ratings – categorised as “inexplicable” by Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman – at the flagship Nick US cable channel as a factor in her departure but Nick said it was so she could “pursue her own creative endeavours.”
The channel has been under severe pressure from the Disney Channel in the cable ratings war, while dealing with constant claims Nick content available on video on-demand Netflix has led to declines.
Nick recently ordered a record number of new series and specials for the 2012/13 season, a move that can be considered one of the biggest overhauls in the channel's history.
The new look Nick will see Hicks in charge of a team that sees Marjorie Cohn taking a new role as president of content development, covering live-action, animation and digital.
Elsewhere, Paula Kaplan will serve as executive VP of current series; Terri Weiss as executive VP of Nickelodeon preschool development and production; Alison Dexter as executive VP of Nickelodeon productions; Rich Mallaganes as senior VP for animation, current series; and Keith Dawkins as senior VP and general manager for Nick Jr, Nicktoons and TeenNick.
Hicks has been CCO since 2008, overseeing the creative, on-air promotions, consumer products, brand and advertising divisions; and led the product development and creative positioning of across Nick properties. He was previously at Cartoon Network.
“Russell has been one of the driving forces behind the Nickelodeon brand,” said Zarghami. “As we continue our ambitious evolution of Nickelodeon, Russell will ensure that our rich and diversified development slate, as well as our new and established producing partners, will all serve our creative vision for the network and deliver for our audiences.”
Johnson, meanwhile, leaves the company having recently spearheaded the re-working of classic action toon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She was also responsible for preschool series such as Dora the Explorer and Blue's Clues, for more than two decades.
“Brown’s contributions to Nickelodeon are many, including being the key architect behind our preschool leadership. She leaves an indelible impact on generations of kids for which we will always be incredibly grateful,” said Zarghami.
Jesse Whittock
30-08-2012
©C21Media
TAGS: Appointments
GENRES: Animation, Children's
SHOWS: Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PEOPLE: Alison Dexter, Brown Johnson, Cyma Zarghami, Keith Dawkins, Marjorie Cohn, Paula Kaplan, Philippe Dauman, Rich Mallaganes, Russell Hicks
COMPANIES: Nickelodeon, Viacom
SECTIONS: C21Kids
COUNTRIES: US
Also, from
Kidscreen:
Nickelodeon appoints Russell Hicks as president of content development/production
Fourteen-year Nickelodeon veteran Russell Hicks has been named to the brand new position of president of content development and production for the Nickelodeon Group, while Brown Johnson, long-time president of Nick Animation [Nickelodeon Animation] exits the company.
In his new position, Hicks, who served as Nickelodeon’s CCO since 2008, will continue to report to Nickelodeon Group president Cyma Zarghami.
Based at Nickelodeon’s Burbank and Santa Monica, California, offices, he will be tasked with leading the company’s live-action, animation development and production teams for all of the company’s content platforms.
Executives now reporting to Hicks include Margie Cohn, who has been promoted to the new Nickelodeon role of president of content development for live-action, animation and digital; Paula Kaplan, now EVP of current series; Teri Weiss, EVP of Nickelodeon preschool development and production; Alison Dexter, EVP of Nickelodeon Productions; Rich Magallanes, SVP of animation, current series; and Keith Dawkins, SVP and GM for Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr., Nicktoons and TeenNick channels.
The appointment comes as Nickelodeon recently ramped up its TV offerings for this fall and into 2013 by greenlighting 14 new projects covering live-action, animation and TV movies.
As Nickelodeon’s CCO, Hicks oversaw all of Nickelodeon creative, on-air promotions, consumer products, brand and advertising divisions. Prior to working at Nickelodeon, he served as VP of marketing for Cartoon Network/Turner brands for Warner Brothers.
Meanwhile, Nick's president of animation since 2008, Brown Johnson, will be exiting her role to pursue personal creative endeavors. During her time in the position, Johnson led the kidsnet’s partnerships with DreamWorks Animation SKG as well as the new, CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. She also led Nickelodeon’s preschool programming, including Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorer, for more than two decades.
Tags: Brown Johnson, Cyma Zarghami, Margie Cohn, Nickelodeon Group, Russell Hicks, Teri Weiss
Also, below is the Nickelodeon Press Release announcing the Nickelodeon News from
PRNewswire:
Russell Hicks Named President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon Group
Former Chief Creative Officer Will Lead New Development and Production Team for All Nickelodeon Content Platforms
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 29, 2012 /Nickelodeon Press Release via PRNewswire/ -- Russell Hicks, a 14-year Nickelodeon veteran and its Chief Creative Officer since 2008, has been named to the new position of President, Content Development and Production for the Nickelodeon Group. The announcement was made today by Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon Group, to whom Hicks will continue to report.
The newly created position establishes centralized, West Coast leadership of all Nickelodeon's content teams, and provides direct, on the ground oversight of the largest and most diverse development slate in the network's history. In this new role, Hicks will be based at Nickelodeon's Burbank and Santa Monica, California, offices, where he will lead the company's live-action, animation development and production teams for all of Nickelodeon's content platforms.
Reporting to Hicks will be: Margie Cohn, who will serve in the new role of President, Content Development, Nickelodeon, working across live-action, animation and digital; Paula Kaplan, who will now serve as Executive Vice President of Current Series; Teri Weiss, Executive Vice President of Nickelodeon Preschool Development and Production; Alison Dexter, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Productions; Rich Magallanes, Senior Vice President, Animation, Current Series; and Keith Dawkins, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Nickelodeon's Nick Jr., Nicktoons and TeenNick channels.
"Russell has been one of the driving forces behind the Nickelodeon brand," said Zarghami. "As we continue our ambitious evolution of Nickelodeon, Russell will ensure that our rich and diversified development slate, as well as our new and established producing partners, will all serve our creative vision for the network and deliver for our audiences. As the new development season begins, this is the perfect moment for Russell to take the helm."
Nickelodeon's recently announced development slate includes more than a dozen new live-action, animation and TV movie projects as part of the network's deep commitment to new content. The slate features top creative talent in front of and behind the camera and iconic characters from the network's most popular series that will begin rolling out this fall and into 2013.
These projects include: two Nick spin-off comedy pilots, Sam & Cat and Gibby, featuring beloved characters from hit series iCarly and Victorious; new series Wendell and Vinnie starring Jerry Trainor and the pilot Instant Mom, both for Nick at Nite; You Gotta' See This, highlighting must-see video clips; and two original TV movies, Swindle and Nicky Deuce. Also included are the CG-animated series Monsters vs. Aliens and the 2D Sanjay & Craig; the highly anticipated return of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in September; and the 4Q launch of Nick at Nite's Scott Baio family comedy, See Dad Run. For preschool, the network is adding the curriculum-based animated series, Monty and Norville, and a pilot for Blaze and the Monster Machines.
Brown Johnson, who has served as the President of Animation since 2008, will be leaving her role to pursue her own creative endeavors. Johnson oversaw the network's successful partnerships with DreamWorks Animation SKG, as well as the brand-new, CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She also was responsible for leading Nickelodeon's groundbreaking preschool programming, including Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer, for more than two decades.
"Brown's contributions to Nickelodeon are many, including being the key architect behind our preschool leadership," added Zarghami. "She leaves an indelible impact on generations of kids for which we will always be incredibly grateful."
Hicks, as Nickelodeon's Chief Creative Officer, oversaw all of Nickelodeon Creative, On-air Promotions, Consumer Products, Brand and Advertising divisions, and led the product development and creative positioning of Nickelodeon's brands and properties and ensured it represented Nickelodeon's "Kids' First" philosophy and supported the company mission to provide surprising and playful experiences for its audiences. In 2009, he led an unprecedented creative review of the Nickelodeon brand and re-imagined its logo to represent the growth the company had attained after 30 years, while also maintaining and reflecting the company's core attributes.
Prior to working at Nickelodeon, Hicks was Vice President of Marketing, Cartoon Network/Turner brands for Warner Brothers, where he was responsible for the marketing and creative that turned Scooby Doo and the Power Puff Girls into cultural icons. Hicks started his career as an animator that led him to work on Teddy Ruxpin, the first talking teddy bear for Worlds of Wonder toys. It is this combination of both animation and consumer products that has given Hicks his extensive knowledge of the children's entertainment world.
Hicks attended California State University Fullerton where he studied illustration and design.
Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).
SOURCE Nickelodeon
RELATED LINKS
http://www.nickpress.com.
