Richard Kilgarriff has been promoted from consultant to svp/gm for all of Turner Broadcasting's U.K. Entertainment channels Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Toonami and TCM with the managers of each channel now reporting directly to him. He will also continue as a consultant to Turner's news network, CNN International.
Kilgarriff joined Turner two and a half years ago and is credited in that time for taking its kids channels to the top of the ratings league. Together Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Toonami make up the number one group of kids channels, Cartoon Network is the number one commercial channel for kids 4-15 and Boomerang is the number one commercial channel for kids 4-9.
In this rapidly fragmenting market innovations have shown that ratings can go up, even when more channels are after the same number of viewers.
His promotion is part of a broader European strategy to lead local markets under three gms; Richard Kilgarriff for the U.K., Tina McCann for France, Italy and Spain and Dee Forbes for Nordic/Central and Eastern Europe and EMA.
In addition to heading up the highly successful channels in France, Italy and Spain, McCann's role will have an increased focus on building Turner's new transmission business for all of EMEA. This is the largest project that Turner has embarked upon since launching Cartoon Network in Europe in 1993. McCann's title is svp/gm of Turner Entertainment Networks.
Forbes is adding channel management to her ongoing advertising sales responsibilities and becomes svp of advertising sales and S&P EMEA and gm, Nordic/CEE and EMA Entertainment Networks.
The gms will manage and oversee the ongoing channel activities of Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Toonami and TCM as well as any future channels in their respective regions. Their channel management responsibilities include programming, scheduling, research, creative, marketing, PR, ad sales and business development in conjunction with Jeff Kupsky, evp of TBS Europe and Pete Flamman, vp of business development.
Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) Europe delivers some of the world's most successful and well-known news and entertainment brands - CNN, Cartoon Network, TCM (Turner Classic Movies), Toonami and Boomerang - across over 50 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Alongside its TV channels TBS is at the forefront of developing its brands through the Internet, broadband, wireless, DVD, E-commerce, merchandising, cinema, publishing and every other available platform. Turner Broadcasting System Europe Ltd. is a Time Warner Co.
