Atom’s Mika Salmi has been appointed to head MTV Networks multiplatform efforts as president, global digital media, reporting directly to Judy McGrath, chairman and CEO, MTV Networks. More to come.
Update: Just got off the phone with Salmi, who now has what may be one of the most complex jobs at MTVN, Effective immediately, as the head of global digital media, Salmi will be responsible for centralizing some of MTVN’s multi-platform strategy while, as he puts it, “honoring” the brands.
During a breather between meetings with his new team — still being finalized, he says — and others he’ll be working with, he admitted, “Ten years ago, if you’d have said I’d go work for MTV, I’d have said, ‘No way.'” But “a year and a half ago the gun went off” for traditional media and “right now this is the place to be.”
The idea of taking a major executive role came up as Viacom and MTVN were acquiring Atom Entertainment, the company he built over the last eight years, but the new job wasn’t part of the deal. MTVN paid $200 million for Atom Entertainment.
It has been months since MTVN had an executive at a senior level chaged solely with digital strategy. Jason Hirschhorn, who last MTVN title was chief digital officer, left in May and Nick Lehman was appointed interim leader of the digital group. But even before Hirschhorn left, MTVN was struggling with the tension between the brands and the need for an overarching strategy. (I hear Lehman will emerge from all of this with a promotion, possibly running gaming. No comment on that yet from MTVN.)
Salmi is aware of the external criticisms and the need to tread carefully internally. But he also sees opportunity, the kind that has him energized when a surfing sabbatical might otherwise have been in order. “I looked at it very deeply,” he said. He was attracted, among other aspects, by MTVN’s global distribution of mobile content. “It’s a global entertainment community like no other,” he said, “I truly believe the assets, the brands are poised to do great things.” A lot of people inside and out will be watching as he tries to deliver on that promise.
From Judy McGrath’s statement in the release: “With Mika’s guidance, our digital teams will continue the momentum we have today, to extend our brands across every platform while creating new business, and next generation applications across every device that engages our community. And he brings that upbeat entrepreneurial spirit that is a hallmark of the digital age.”
Related: Viacom-Atom: Sale Price & Synergy With iFilm
– Viacom Acquires Atom Entertainment For $200 Million
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