Fox Sports Net has picked FRANCOIS MCGILLICUDDY to run its Cleveland-based RSN, FS Ohio, and manage the transition of the recently purchased SportsTime Ohio. As part of the move, JIM LIBERATORE is leaving the net. Liberatore had been SportsTime Ohio President since its '06 launch. Fox closed its acquisition of STO the last week of '12 for around $235M. McGillicuddy comes to FS Ohio from Speed, where he has worked as VP/Finance & Business Operations since '06. In his new role as FS Ohio Senior VP & GM, McGillicuddy will report to FSN Exec VP JEFF KROLIK (John Ourand, THE DAILY)....Root Sports Rocky Mountain GM & Senior VP TIM GRIGGS “left his position” with the net on Friday (DENVER POST, 1/8).
CREATING CONTENT: Hollywood production company BermanBraun named NFL Digital Media GM JEFF BERMAN President (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 1/7). Berman was in charge of the NFL's "Web, mobile, social and non-console gaming efforts." He also "worked on several new initiatives, such as its multi-party video chat for Fantasy Football." Several years before that, Berman "was a top exec at social networking site Myspace." Berman: “I had a great job, since there is nothing bigger than the NFL. But LLOYD [BRAUN] and GAIL [BERMAN] have an incredible vision across platforms for entertainment” (ALLTHINGSD.com, 1/7).
SUCCESSOR: Upper Deck named JASON MASHERAH President following the death of co-Founder & Chair RICHARD MCWILLIAM (Upper Deck). McWilliam passed away Saturday at his Rancho Mirage, Calif., home (AP, 1/7).
EXECS: FanVision named TASSO KOKEN CEO. Koken previously served as Best Buy Senior VP/International Merchandising & Global Sourcing, GNC Exec VP/Global Merchandising and The Wiz Exec VP/Marketing, Merchandising & Operations (FanVision)….Tupelo-Honey Raycom named JENNIFER GREECHAN Exec Producer of all live sports programming (Raycom)….MARK EVERSON retired as the N.Y. Post’s hockey beat writer (N.Y. POST, 1/6)….The Rays promoted pro scout CARLOS RODRIGUEZ to Latin America Scouting Dir and hired BOBBY HECK as special-assignment scout, CHUCK RICCI as national crosschecker and MIKE BROWN and KEVIN IBACH as pro scouts (MLB.com, 1/7)….Jacksonville Univ. named Bradley Univ. Assistant AD/External Operations ROB BOGARDUS Associate AD/External Operations (Jacksonville)….Texas A&M-Commerce named RYAN IVEY AD. Ivey had been part of the McNeese State athletic department since ’07 (Texas A&M-Commerce).
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