MTV Names New President

Atkins joined Discovery Communications from HBO where he was senior vice president of digital media.

He will oversee all creative and business operations for the youth entertainment brand and its sister networks MTV2 and mtvU. As GM and EVP of Digital Media and Strategy at Discovery, Atkins was responsible for driving the company’s original online video strategy and networks including Revision3, SourceFed, Discovery News, and TestTube.

In a memo to staff, Viacom Networks Group head Doug Herzog said Friedman gave notice in April “but stayed on to help with the transition as we brought MTV and Logo into the new Music and Entertainment Group”.

“Sean is smart, creative, passionate and remarkably energized about the sea change at hand in our industry”, said Herzog. “The potential of MTV is in its power to continually redefines, and Sean’s forward-thinking, extremely versatile authority will make sure our company and company go on to upgrade and bring for my audience”, said Herzog. He…

With executive experience at Discovery, HBO, and Yahoo!, Atkins has held leadership positions across development, digital media, production, strategy, marketing, product development, and consumer products.

The announcement comes on the heels of the exit of Stephen Friedman, who vacated the post earlier the same day after seven years as head of the cable network. He has also worked at Warner Bros., Mediaconnex and The Walt Disney Company. Entertainment and acting COO for Vulcan Programming, a project with Paul Allen’s Vulcan Ventures and A. Smith & Co. where he managed the development and creation of a slate of cable networks. He initially came aboard MTV to create a unit to oversee strategic “pro-social” initiatives, like an anti-discrimination effort called “Fight For Your Rights”. And from the looks of it, MTV could really use a few new blood.

Friedman joined MTV back in 1998 and served as president starting in 2011.

Having been blessed to work with you and be part of this remarkable brand for the better part of my career, I am leaving to return full time to what tempts my soul to rise.

“What MTV understood at its inception, a growing part of the world is actively pursuing”, he wrote in his memo. More recently he pushed the network into scripted series with Teen Wolf, Awkward and Scream.