Rogers Communications named RICK BRACE President of its Media Business Unit, effective Aug. 10. He will succeed KEITH PELLEY, who had held the position since '10 and is leaving to take over the European PGA Tour. Brace will oversee the company's broadcast business, publishing brands, Sportsnet, and sports investments including the Blue Jays, NHL and MLSE (Rogers). Brace has 35 years of experience in the media business, and he "helped found Bell's successful TSN all-sports channel and served as president at both TSN and CTV." His appointment comes as Rogers CEO GUY LAURENCE "continues to implement his Rogers 3.0 corporate overhaul since joining the company" in December '13 (CP, 7/7). Brace "cut his teeth as a producer and director with CBC Sports before moving to TSN" in '86. There, he "oversaw coverage" of the '88 Calgary Games and "rose through the ranks." Rogers has "bet serious money on sports as the key driver of its media business in a difficult advertising climate" (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/8).
ON CAMPUS: The Univ. of Michigan named former Oregon State AD BOB DE CAROLIS Senior Advisor. Carolis announced his resignation from OSU two months ago after "leading that department for nearly 13 years" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/8)....The Univ. of Memphis named Southeast Missouri State AD MARK ALNUTT Deputy AD, effective Aug. 10. He will replace WREN BAKER (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 7/7)....Liberty Univ. named former Virginia Tech Associate AD/External Affairs TIM EAST to the newly created position of Senior Associate AD/External Operations. East spent 20 years at Virginia Tech, including eight in his most recent role (Liberty)....Purdue Univ. Northwest named Purdue Calumet AD RICK COSTELLO to the same position, effective immediately (NWI.com, 7/7).
EXECS: The Chernin Group named former Yahoo Senior VP/Product Homepage & Verticals MIKE KERNS President of its Digital Unit. The move is "another effort to knit Hollywood and Silicon Valley more closely together." Kerns as part of the deal will be "opening a Northern California office" in S.F. Kerns earlier this year left Yahoo, which "had bought his last startup, Citizen Sports, five years ago." Kerns in his new job will also "join the BOD of Otter Media, the Chernin Group's video venture with AT&T" (RECODE.net, 7/7)....The Nationals have hired ANDREW BRAGMAN as Senior Dir of Ticket Operations. Bragman previously worked for the Pirates, Oracle Arena and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, as well as the Triple-A PCL Fresno Grizzlies (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer)....Toyota Motor Sales hired Saatchi & Saatchi L.A. Dir of PR NICK AMMAZZALORSO to work in its PR department (THE DAILY).
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