Updated, see below: Another major Viacom management change: MTV Networks President and COO Michael Wolf (left, in the picture) is leaving the company, after just 15 months in the job. We have confirmed it from Wolf, who told Staci: “I just decided ... we just closed out the year and it was a good time for me to move on.” According to Wolf, he has a two year non-compete contract with MTV, which is being re-negotiated. While Wolf insists he is leaving of his own accord, there will be persistent whispers to the contrary. He will officially leave in February.
Earlier this week Wolf was making the rounds at CES with other Viacom top brass Philippe Dauman and Judy McGrath, so the timing comes as a surprise, though not his actual resignation. We’ve been told numerous times in the past few months that Wolf was on his way out.
The rumor first surfaced on Gawker earlier today.
The news comes a day after the powerful Gail Berman resigned as president of Viacom’s Paramount Pictures after 18 months on her job. And then of course the big Freston firing last year and Dauman becoming the CEO.
Updated: MTV release: Mentioned Wolf’s departure as well as Nicole Browning, President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing. She had been at MTV for about 20 years.
The company said MTVN will begin searches for a new COO and a new head of Affiliate Sales and Marketing immediately.
Staci adds: Earlier this week I saw both Wolf and Browning at different CES events; Wolf at the Gates keynote with Dauman and McGrath, Browning at the Verizon-Qualcomm MediaFlo announcement. Browning’s team was responsible for the deal. So what to make of this? MTVN just made a big deal of reorganizing digital media and mobile with Browning retaining authority over affiliate sales and marketing for those areas. The press release quotes McGrath as describing this area as one of the accomplishments of Wolf’s tenure: “We accomplished everything we set out to do together, restructuring our Ad Sales and our Affiliate Sales and Marketing businesses for the multiplatform world ... ” If the restructuring were complete, they wouldn’t be out looking for a new head of one of those businesses now. In a note before Thursday’s announcement, analyst Jessica Reif Cohen described 2007 as a “transition year” for Viacom and said she expected to be see more restructuring on the international front. She described Viacom’s prospects as relatively strong but remains “concerned about any potential fallout from recent management changes.” More to come, I’m sure.
Related:—Salmi’s MTVN Digital Team Finally Set; Lehman Will Head New Games and Interactive Media Unit
—MTV Announces “Radical” Reorganization; Creates Confusion Over Status Of Digital Group
—Industry Moves: MTV To Appoint Michael Wolf As COO