Nickelodeon Welcomes Back Layla Lewis; Promotes Shannon Friedrichs Higdon

The children's entertainment and media news website Kidscreen is reporting the Nickelodeon News in the following article that Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has announced the international division of Viacom has made two significant appointments, with Layla Lewis re-joining the company as Vice President of content acquisitions for Nickelodeon and Shannon Friedrichs Higdon being promoted to VP of content and brand management for Nickelodeon International.

Lewis, who previously spent more than a decade at Nickelodeon UK, rejoins Nickelodeon from Turner International's Hong Kong office. She will now oversee global acquisition strategies and day-to-day acquisition management for Nickelodeon's global network of channels (Planet Nick). She will also supervise all content acquisition proposals and will be integral in the greenlighting process of new programming and partnership content. Additionally, she will work with the company's programming heads in international markets to coordinate and develop pan-regional deals for Nickelodeon's more than 70 locally programmed channels.

In her new position, Friedrichs Higdon will manage the development and execution of Nickelodeon's global programming strategy. She'll also continue to oversee the creation of centralized programming events and stunts. Friedrichs Higdon joined Nickelodeon International in 2011 after being a member of the company's US programming team since 2005.

Both are based in New York and report to Jules Borkent, SVP of global acquisitions & international programming for Nickelodeon:

Nickelodeon welcomes back Layla Lewis, promotes Shannon Friedrichs Higdon

Viacom International Media Networks has made two significant appointments, with Layla Lewis re-joining the company as VP of content acquisitions for Nickelodeon and Shannon Friedrichs Higdon being promoted to VP of content and brand management for Nickelodeon International.

Lewis [...] hails from Turner International’s Hong Kong office and previously spent more than a decade at Nickelodeon UK. She will now oversee global acquisition strategies and day-to-day acquisition management for Nickelodeon’s global network of channels. She will also supervise all content acquisition proposals and will be integral in the greenlighting process of new programming and partnership content. Additionally, she will work with the company’s programming heads in international markets to coordinate and develop pan-regional deals for Nickelodeon’s more than 70 locally programmed channels.

In her new position, Friedrichs Higdon will manage the development and execution of Nickelodeon’s global programming strategy. She’ll also continue to oversee the creation of centralized programming events and stunts. Friedrichs Higdon joined Nickelodeon International in 2011 after being a member of the company’s US programming team since 2005.

Both are based in New York and report to Jules Borkent, SVP of global acquisitions & international programming for Nickelodeon.

Tags: Layla Lewis, Nickelodeon, Shannon Friedrichs Higdon, Viacom International Media Networks

Also, from Broadcast:

Nickelodeon poaches Turner exec

Nickelodeon has poached former Turner exec Layla Lewis to become its vice president of content acquisitions.

Lewis, who was director of programming, acquisitions and development at Cartoon Network Asia, will be in charge of acquisitions for the kids channel across the world. She will be based in New York and will report to Jules Borkent, senior vice president, global acquisitions and international programming, Nickelodeon.

Before joining Turner International, Lewis worked at Nickelodeon UK for ten years across its acquisitions and programming team.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Layla back to the Nickelodeon family. She brings strategic and creative vision, proven expertise in negotiating acquisitions within the kids’ genre, and extensive experience in securing entertaining and compelling content,” said Borkent.

Separately, Shannon Friedrichs Higdon has been promoted to vice president, content and brand management, Nickelodeon International.

Also, from C21Media:

Nick acquisitions chief named

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has appointed an exec from Turner International’s Hong Kong office as its VP of content acquisitions for Nickelodeon.

Layla Lewis will oversee global acquisition strategies and day-to-day acquisition management for Nickelodeon’s global network of channels.

She is rejoining VIMN after working at Turner International in China, where she was responsible for the Asia Pacific acquisitions strategies for the company’s various brands.

Prior to joining Turner in 2010, Lewis spent over 10 years acquiring and overseeing editorial content at Nickelodeon in the UK.

Returning to VIMN, Lewis will now supervise all content acquisition proposals and will be “integral in the greenlighting process” of new Nickelodeon programming and partnership content, VIMN said.

Reporting to Jules Borkent, senior VP of global acquisitions and international programming for Nickelodeon, Lewis will also work alongside the company’s programming heads in international markets on pan-regional content deals.

Elsewhere at Nickelodeon, Shannon Friedrichs Higdon has been promoted to VP of content and brand management for Nickelodeon International, to manage the development and execution of the channel’s international programming strategy.

Friedrichs Higdon will “continue to oversee the roll-out of content across Nickelodeon’s international channels and the creation of centralised programming events and stunts to ensure Nickelodeon programming around the world is globally aligned,” according to VIMN.

Nico Franks
29-05-2013
©C21Media

TAGS: Nick UK alum joins Turner Asia
GENRES: Animation, Children's
PEOPLE: Layla Lewis, Shannon Friedrichs Higdon
COMPANIES: Nickelodeon, Turner International, Viacom International Media Networks
SECTIONS: C21Kids
COUNTRIES: US