Paramount Advertising President John Halley was preparing to preside over an upfront pitch to Publicis, one of the four major holding companies in the ad business, when big news crossed the wire.
Bob Bakish was officially out as CEO of Paramount Global. Much of the reason that the 27-year company veteran lost favor with board members and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone had to do with intensifying merger talks, which have also kept Paramount in the headlines. A couple of hours before the Publicis dinner, Paramount capped its newsy day by conducting a 9-minute earnings call and declining to field any questions from Wall Street analysts.
“It’s not my favorite backdrop,” Halley dryly conceded in an interview with Deadline. “I thought, ‘Is this going to derail our messaging?’ And we got into the room and it was very clear immediately that that was background and not foreground. We acknowledged it,...
Bob Bakish was officially out as CEO of Paramount Global. Much of the reason that the 27-year company veteran lost favor with board members and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone had to do with intensifying merger talks, which have also kept Paramount in the headlines. A couple of hours before the Publicis dinner, Paramount capped its newsy day by conducting a 9-minute earnings call and declining to field any questions from Wall Street analysts.
“It’s not my favorite backdrop,” Halley dryly conceded in an interview with Deadline. “I thought, ‘Is this going to derail our messaging?’ And we got into the room and it was very clear immediately that that was background and not foreground. We acknowledged it,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount Global said it would bake a new suite of data into all ad deals “at no additional cost” that examines whether a commercial spurred a consumer to take a particular action, a measure known as “attribution” that is gaining new sway on Madison Avenue as marketers struggle to determine the effectiveness of their paid media pitches.
Paramount said it would offer data from both Mastercard and Edo, a start-up founded in part by actor Ed Norton, that will help clients examine “outcomes,” such as a visit to a marketer’s web site or showroom, or a consumer search for a product being advertised. The company unveils the offer with just days to go before the start of the industry’s annual “upfront” market, when U.S. TV networks try to sell the bulk fo their commercial inventory ahead of their next cycles of programming.
“Our goal here is to...
Paramount said it would offer data from both Mastercard and Edo, a start-up founded in part by actor Ed Norton, that will help clients examine “outcomes,” such as a visit to a marketer’s web site or showroom, or a consumer search for a product being advertised. The company unveils the offer with just days to go before the start of the industry’s annual “upfront” market, when U.S. TV networks try to sell the bulk fo their commercial inventory ahead of their next cycles of programming.
“Our goal here is to...
- 5/2/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Jo Ann Ross, whose lengthy run as the head of ad sales at CBS represented a breakthrough for a woman in the traditionally male-dominated field, is formally winding down her tenure at Paramount Global.
In September 2022, Ross segued to an advisory role, becoming Chairman of Paramount Advertising as John Halley was elevated to President, overseeing day-to-day ad sales. On Tuesday, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish informed employees in a memo that Ross would officially exit the company next week after “having helped prime our sales team for another strong upfront season.”
Ross had been one of the few division heads from CBS Corp. to remain in charge after the company’s merger with Viacom closed in December 2019. Along with the merger integration, the next two years would present Ross and her industry colleagues with Biblical challenges in coping with Covid, which wiped out sports and production for months, not to mention wining-and-dining.
In September 2022, Ross segued to an advisory role, becoming Chairman of Paramount Advertising as John Halley was elevated to President, overseeing day-to-day ad sales. On Tuesday, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish informed employees in a memo that Ross would officially exit the company next week after “having helped prime our sales team for another strong upfront season.”
Ross had been one of the few division heads from CBS Corp. to remain in charge after the company’s merger with Viacom closed in December 2019. Along with the merger integration, the next two years would present Ross and her industry colleagues with Biblical challenges in coping with Covid, which wiped out sports and production for months, not to mention wining-and-dining.
- 4/23/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Jo Ann Ross, the first woman to run a broadcast TV network’s ad-sales efforts and one of the last senior ad-sales executives in the TV industry to hold direct relationships with advertisers when primetime broadcast programs were seen as the primary venue for Madison Avenue’s dollars, is leaving the industry, stepping down from her role as chairman of Paramount Global’s ad sales division at the end of April.
Ross had already stepped back from day to day duties, ceding that role to John Halley, who was named president of ad sales for the company in 2022. But her relationships with key sponsors were seen as valuable, as were the ties many of her senior executives had with media agencies and marketing executives. She has stayed on at Paramount in a key advisory role.
“Jo Ann has steered our advertising business from one milestone to the next. She oversaw...
Ross had already stepped back from day to day duties, ceding that role to John Halley, who was named president of ad sales for the company in 2022. But her relationships with key sponsors were seen as valuable, as were the ties many of her senior executives had with media agencies and marketing executives. She has stayed on at Paramount in a key advisory role.
“Jo Ann has steered our advertising business from one milestone to the next. She oversaw...
- 4/23/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran Paramount Global ad exec Ryan Briganti has been tapped as the company’s head of sports ad sales, replacing John Bogusz, who recently retired.
Paramount Advertising chief John Halley announced the appointment in a memo to staffers. (Read it below.)
In his new role, Briganti will lead ad sales and partnerships across all CBS Sports platforms, including CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports HQ, CBS Sports Golazo Network, and all digital and social.
Bogusz had held the post, including a stint at CBS Corp. before it merged with Viacom in 2019 to create what is now Paramount Global. He announced his retirement last month, capping a 26-year run at the company.
Briganti also had been at CBS, working under Bogusz, and then became SVP of Sports Sales after the merger of CBS and Viacom. He has spent 16 years at CBS and Paramount, with an agency background prior to that.
Sports...
Paramount Advertising chief John Halley announced the appointment in a memo to staffers. (Read it below.)
In his new role, Briganti will lead ad sales and partnerships across all CBS Sports platforms, including CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports HQ, CBS Sports Golazo Network, and all digital and social.
Bogusz had held the post, including a stint at CBS Corp. before it merged with Viacom in 2019 to create what is now Paramount Global. He announced his retirement last month, capping a 26-year run at the company.
Briganti also had been at CBS, working under Bogusz, and then became SVP of Sports Sales after the merger of CBS and Viacom. He has spent 16 years at CBS and Paramount, with an agency background prior to that.
Sports...
- 4/16/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount Advertising has found its new sports ad sales chief.
The company has promoted Ryan Briganti to head of sports, overseeing all advertising across CBS Sports platforms. John Halley, president of Paramount Advertising, announced the promotion to staff Tuesday.
“Ryan will report to me and work very closely with David Berson and the entire CBS Sports management team to deliver the most premium, scaled, and seamlessly integrated campaigns in the Sports category,” Halley wrote in a memo. “He will partner across Paramount to lead the charge across our unrivaled portfolio of marquee sports, including the National Football League, Big Ten Football, March Madness, PGA Tour, PGA Championship and UEFA Champions League.”
Briganti was most recently senior VP of ad sales for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Digital, and has been with the company for 16 years.
“The track record says it all,” Halley added. “Ryan’s leadership negotiating sales for a...
The company has promoted Ryan Briganti to head of sports, overseeing all advertising across CBS Sports platforms. John Halley, president of Paramount Advertising, announced the promotion to staff Tuesday.
“Ryan will report to me and work very closely with David Berson and the entire CBS Sports management team to deliver the most premium, scaled, and seamlessly integrated campaigns in the Sports category,” Halley wrote in a memo. “He will partner across Paramount to lead the charge across our unrivaled portfolio of marquee sports, including the National Football League, Big Ten Football, March Madness, PGA Tour, PGA Championship and UEFA Champions League.”
Briganti was most recently senior VP of ad sales for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Digital, and has been with the company for 16 years.
“The track record says it all,” Halley added. “Ryan’s leadership negotiating sales for a...
- 4/16/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After decades of working to interest advertisers in the Masters, NCAA March Madness, Sunday NFL games and, most recently, Super Bowl Lviii, John Bogusz has thrown his last pass to Madison Avenue,
The CBS Sports ad-sales chief, who has been at the Paramount Global-backed network for more than 26 years, is expected to leave his role as executive vice president of sports sales following one more NCAA tournament and Masters golf competition, according to an internal memo reviewed by Variety. “Bogie,” as he is commonly known among staffers, buyers and clients, departs at a moment of transition for the sports operations at CBS. Sean McManus, the long-serving chairman of the sports business is also stepping away.
Bogusz’ exit comes after CBS orchestrated a record-setting ad haul for Super Bowl Lviii — more than $600 million, goosed in part by the match between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs going into overtime.
The CBS Sports ad-sales chief, who has been at the Paramount Global-backed network for more than 26 years, is expected to leave his role as executive vice president of sports sales following one more NCAA tournament and Masters golf competition, according to an internal memo reviewed by Variety. “Bogie,” as he is commonly known among staffers, buyers and clients, departs at a moment of transition for the sports operations at CBS. Sean McManus, the long-serving chairman of the sports business is also stepping away.
Bogusz’ exit comes after CBS orchestrated a record-setting ad haul for Super Bowl Lviii — more than $600 million, goosed in part by the match between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs going into overtime.
- 3/13/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount Global doesn’t feel it needs Carnegie Hall to make its point to Madison Avenue.
The New York owner of CBS, the Paramount movie studio and the Nickelodeon kids-cable outlet plans a second year of individual meetings with media buyers and advertisers for its outreach during the industry’s “upfront” sales market, and will not return to the more formal, glitzy presentation that has long been a staple of the period.
Paramount intends to start the meetings, to be held in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, in late April, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company feels clients responded well to the technique and expects to build upon the practice with a new experience for those who attend.
In a different era, Paramount was a backer of what was perhaps the most symbolic presentation of the upfront, when TV networks try to sell the bulk...
The New York owner of CBS, the Paramount movie studio and the Nickelodeon kids-cable outlet plans a second year of individual meetings with media buyers and advertisers for its outreach during the industry’s “upfront” sales market, and will not return to the more formal, glitzy presentation that has long been a staple of the period.
Paramount intends to start the meetings, to be held in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, in late April, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company feels clients responded well to the technique and expects to build upon the practice with a new experience for those who attend.
In a different era, Paramount was a backer of what was perhaps the most symbolic presentation of the upfront, when TV networks try to sell the bulk...
- 1/22/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Linda Rene once proved instrumental in weaving blue-chip advertisers like Anheuser-Busch and General Motors into a fledgling CBS reality competition called “Survivor.” Two decades later, she is planning to get off the island.
Rene, an advertising-sales veteran who has worked at CBS for more than four decades, helped expand an industry practice known as product placement and was pivotal in crafting new deals that not only had advertisers providing vehicles and beverages as set dressing, but weaving their products into a show in ways that made them as prominent as some of the cast members. Marketers were able to cut deals with CBS that guaranteed them a notable presence in programs such as “The Amazing Race” or “NCIS,” while agreeing to buy up traditional commercials in the series that bolstered their in-show appearances.
Now, after working at CBS and its successor company, Paramount Global, as the head of primetime ad...
Rene, an advertising-sales veteran who has worked at CBS for more than four decades, helped expand an industry practice known as product placement and was pivotal in crafting new deals that not only had advertisers providing vehicles and beverages as set dressing, but weaving their products into a show in ways that made them as prominent as some of the cast members. Marketers were able to cut deals with CBS that guaranteed them a notable presence in programs such as “The Amazing Race” or “NCIS,” while agreeing to buy up traditional commercials in the series that bolstered their in-show appearances.
Now, after working at CBS and its successor company, Paramount Global, as the head of primetime ad...
- 12/1/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount Advertising President John Halley says the current marketplace, with free and subscription streaming, digital inventory and linear TV as well as uncertainty about measurement is “a big mess” for both buyers and sellers.
Nevertheless, Halley asserted during a keynote appearance at Paramount’s TV Now conference, “we’re going to work toward a better future.” His remarks came during a Q&a session with Evan Shapiro, a former cable and streaming exec who opened the half-day event with an overview of his “media map” and related insights about shifts in consumer habit and the business landscape.
Change has defined Halley’s tenure since being promoted to the top ad role in an exec shuffle last fall. He has contended with an ad market that softened notably in 2022 but one showing signs of a rebound in recent months. Even as dollars are flowing back into the overall ad market, though,...
Nevertheless, Halley asserted during a keynote appearance at Paramount’s TV Now conference, “we’re going to work toward a better future.” His remarks came during a Q&a session with Evan Shapiro, a former cable and streaming exec who opened the half-day event with an overview of his “media map” and related insights about shifts in consumer habit and the business landscape.
Change has defined Halley’s tenure since being promoted to the top ad role in an exec shuffle last fall. He has contended with an ad market that softened notably in 2022 but one showing signs of a rebound in recent months. Even as dollars are flowing back into the overall ad market, though,...
- 11/28/2023
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Warner Bros. Discovery is the latest major media company to reorganize and restructure its advertising sales division, seeking a new way of doing business with major brands amid what has been a lackluster year for ad sales.
On Monday, the company unveiled its new structure, one that will be built around an agency holding company model.
Under the new structure, Marybeth Strobel and Greg Regis will lead the agency-specific teams, with Strobel working with Omnicom, Magna and Dentsu, and Regis responsible for Publicis, GroupM and Horizon Media.
There will also be executives tasked with specific strategic areas.
Jon Diament will oversee Wbd’s sports portfolio and also work with Wbd’s clients who are also official league partners with MLB, NBA and the NHL.
Ryan Gould will lead Wbd’s digital ad team, including Max, Discovery+, Wbd Stream and CNN digital, as well as programmatic sales.
Sheereen Russell will lead a new client partnerships team.
On Monday, the company unveiled its new structure, one that will be built around an agency holding company model.
Under the new structure, Marybeth Strobel and Greg Regis will lead the agency-specific teams, with Strobel working with Omnicom, Magna and Dentsu, and Regis responsible for Publicis, GroupM and Horizon Media.
There will also be executives tasked with specific strategic areas.
Jon Diament will oversee Wbd’s sports portfolio and also work with Wbd’s clients who are also official league partners with MLB, NBA and the NHL.
Ryan Gould will lead Wbd’s digital ad team, including Max, Discovery+, Wbd Stream and CNN digital, as well as programmatic sales.
Sheereen Russell will lead a new client partnerships team.
- 7/31/2023
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paramount Global has promoted Lee Sears to the role of executive vp, head of international advertising sales and integrated marketing.
He will be reporting to Pam Kaufman, president and CEO of international markets, global consumer products and experiences, and John Halley, president of Paramount advertising.
Sears most recently served as executive vp and head of digital, ad sales & events, overseeing Velocity International, the company’s brand solutions division. Before that, he worked in Paramount’s international division for five years in various roles, including as head of trading and director of sales and partnerships at MTV International.
In his new role, “Sears will lead Paramount’s international advertising organization, formerly known as Velocity International, as a newly aligned group under the global sales organization with oversight of sales, monetization and strategy for Paramount’s direct-to-consumer streaming business,” the company said. “In addition, Sears will oversee ad sales for Paramount’s...
He will be reporting to Pam Kaufman, president and CEO of international markets, global consumer products and experiences, and John Halley, president of Paramount advertising.
Sears most recently served as executive vp and head of digital, ad sales & events, overseeing Velocity International, the company’s brand solutions division. Before that, he worked in Paramount’s international division for five years in various roles, including as head of trading and director of sales and partnerships at MTV International.
In his new role, “Sears will lead Paramount’s international advertising organization, formerly known as Velocity International, as a newly aligned group under the global sales organization with oversight of sales, monetization and strategy for Paramount’s direct-to-consumer streaming business,” the company said. “In addition, Sears will oversee ad sales for Paramount’s...
- 6/15/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Malaysian Mission
Hong Kong icon Johnnie To will head the jury of the sixth edition of the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) next month. Other jurors include: Truong Ngoc Anh from Vietnam, Ryuichi Hiroki from Japan, Zizan Razak from Malaysia, and Eric Khoo from Singapore.
The event will open with the world premiere of “Eraser,” directed by Mark Lee See Teck. The Malaysian film features the final on-screen appearance of the late Adibah Noor, a beloved Malaysian gem known for her timeless charisma. MIFFest will play “See You at the Rally,” directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Kanny Chang as its closing title. The festival is set to take place at Lalaport Bbcc from July 23-29 and will play a total of 42 films from 15 countries.
The festival is building its impact through a series of collaborations with other events. It will screen a selection of genre titles from this month’s Bucheon...
Hong Kong icon Johnnie To will head the jury of the sixth edition of the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) next month. Other jurors include: Truong Ngoc Anh from Vietnam, Ryuichi Hiroki from Japan, Zizan Razak from Malaysia, and Eric Khoo from Singapore.
The event will open with the world premiere of “Eraser,” directed by Mark Lee See Teck. The Malaysian film features the final on-screen appearance of the late Adibah Noor, a beloved Malaysian gem known for her timeless charisma. MIFFest will play “See You at the Rally,” directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Kanny Chang as its closing title. The festival is set to take place at Lalaport Bbcc from July 23-29 and will play a total of 42 films from 15 countries.
The festival is building its impact through a series of collaborations with other events. It will screen a selection of genre titles from this month’s Bucheon...
- 6/15/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Even without a once-in-a-generation strike or a Twitter bombshell, next week would already pose a challenge to media companies making their annual upfront pitches to ad buyers next week in New York.
An adverse economic climate and a number of existential questions are confronting those in the ad trenches. With live, linear tune-in continuing to decline, what is the meaning of a prime-time schedule anymore? In a cord-cutting world, how will the profit models of streaming play out? How will advertisers feel the same rush they used to get from putting their chips on the hottest new sitcom or procedural drama and seeing those bets pay off?
“Going into this upfront, there’s a lot of anxiety and excitement — a mix of both,” said Rita Ferro, president of ad sales and partnerships at Disney. “Buyers still love this time of year. They get to see the best of what’s coming from companies,...
An adverse economic climate and a number of existential questions are confronting those in the ad trenches. With live, linear tune-in continuing to decline, what is the meaning of a prime-time schedule anymore? In a cord-cutting world, how will the profit models of streaming play out? How will advertisers feel the same rush they used to get from putting their chips on the hottest new sitcom or procedural drama and seeing those bets pay off?
“Going into this upfront, there’s a lot of anxiety and excitement — a mix of both,” said Rita Ferro, president of ad sales and partnerships at Disney. “Buyers still love this time of year. They get to see the best of what’s coming from companies,...
- 5/12/2023
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Getting to Carnegie Hall requires, as the old joke goes, practice, practice practice. Walking away, it would seem, is significantly easier.
Paramount Global, a media company that has over the past decades come to emblematize the entertainment industry’s annual “upfront” sales session in no small part because of its presentations at the New York landmark, this year surprised many by walking away from holding one. Chances are the company won’t be returning in the near future.
“We are not going to go back to the old way of doing things,” says John Halley, Paramount’s president of advertising, in an interview.
Halley is presiding over his first upfront — a weeks-long haggle over ad inventory for the networks’ next cycle of programming — after having succeeded longtime executive Jo Ann Ross. He has generated chatter across the industry by leaving behind the glitzy Wednesday-afternoon showcase started years ago by Paramount’s CBS.
Paramount Global, a media company that has over the past decades come to emblematize the entertainment industry’s annual “upfront” sales session in no small part because of its presentations at the New York landmark, this year surprised many by walking away from holding one. Chances are the company won’t be returning in the near future.
“We are not going to go back to the old way of doing things,” says John Halley, Paramount’s president of advertising, in an interview.
Halley is presiding over his first upfront — a weeks-long haggle over ad inventory for the networks’ next cycle of programming — after having succeeded longtime executive Jo Ann Ross. He has generated chatter across the industry by leaving behind the glitzy Wednesday-afternoon showcase started years ago by Paramount’s CBS.
- 5/8/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
NBCUniversal is the latest media and entertainment company to rework its organizational structure to account for a declining linear TV environment and a booming streaming ad market.
On Tuesday, NBCUniversal ad sales and partnerships chief Linda Yaccarino outlined a new structure that will combine brand and agency teams, and build infrastructure to try and bring in small and medium-sized businesses that have traditionally been priced out of TV, but have spent heavily on platforms like Facebook and Google.
The changes include new or reworked roles for a variety of top executives, including Maggy Chan, who joined from the BBC last month and will oversee global ad sales and partnerships; Mark Marshall, who will lead a centralized national sales team; Frank Comerford, who will lead local ad strategy; and Dan Lovinger, who leads a sales team dedicated to the Olympics.
Meanwhile, Tom Winiarski’s team will be tasked with bridging linear and digital inventory,...
On Tuesday, NBCUniversal ad sales and partnerships chief Linda Yaccarino outlined a new structure that will combine brand and agency teams, and build infrastructure to try and bring in small and medium-sized businesses that have traditionally been priced out of TV, but have spent heavily on platforms like Facebook and Google.
The changes include new or reworked roles for a variety of top executives, including Maggy Chan, who joined from the BBC last month and will oversee global ad sales and partnerships; Mark Marshall, who will lead a centralized national sales team; Frank Comerford, who will lead local ad strategy; and Dan Lovinger, who leads a sales team dedicated to the Olympics.
Meanwhile, Tom Winiarski’s team will be tasked with bridging linear and digital inventory,...
- 1/31/2023
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
In a major change to TV’s upfront week calendar, Paramount Global says that it will not hold its traditional presentation at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2023.
Instead, per a memo from Paramount ad sales chief John Halley, the company “will be hosting a series of high-impact, intimate gatherings in April for each of our major agency partners and their clients in lieu of our traditional presence at Carnegie Hall. We believe this expanded format will prove more effective in facilitating our upcoming Upfront discussions.”
2022 marked a return to normal for TV’s upfront business, with all the major networks returning to in-person events for the first time since before the pandemic in 2019. Paramount held its traditional event at Carnegie Hall, though it abbreviated the presentation to a brisk 60 minutes (in honor of the iconic CBS newsmagazine… though the presentation went long...
In a major change to TV’s upfront week calendar, Paramount Global says that it will not hold its traditional presentation at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2023.
Instead, per a memo from Paramount ad sales chief John Halley, the company “will be hosting a series of high-impact, intimate gatherings in April for each of our major agency partners and their clients in lieu of our traditional presence at Carnegie Hall. We believe this expanded format will prove more effective in facilitating our upcoming Upfront discussions.”
2022 marked a return to normal for TV’s upfront business, with all the major networks returning to in-person events for the first time since before the pandemic in 2019. Paramount held its traditional event at Carnegie Hall, though it abbreviated the presentation to a brisk 60 minutes (in honor of the iconic CBS newsmagazine… though the presentation went long...
- 12/20/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Signaling the end of a media business ritual, Paramount Global has indicated it will not host an upfront presentation for ad buyers at Carnegie Hall next May, instead planning “intimate gatherings” with advertisers in April.
Paramount ad chief John Halley just announced the change in a staff memo. (Read it below.) Because “new realities call for new approaches,” Halley wrote, “the event needs to evolve to meet this moment.”
The annual May event, initiated by CBS decades ago and then continued under the auspices of Viacom, ViacomCBS and Paramount, served as the grand finale of broadcast TV upfront week in New York. For many years, especially as CBS built up its position as the top-rated network, the upfront was a spectacle of mainstream entertainment held in a century-old venue with almost 4,000 seats. The company would bring stars from Broadway and their own roster of scripted series, late night, sports and...
Paramount ad chief John Halley just announced the change in a staff memo. (Read it below.) Because “new realities call for new approaches,” Halley wrote, “the event needs to evolve to meet this moment.”
The annual May event, initiated by CBS decades ago and then continued under the auspices of Viacom, ViacomCBS and Paramount, served as the grand finale of broadcast TV upfront week in New York. For many years, especially as CBS built up its position as the top-rated network, the upfront was a spectacle of mainstream entertainment held in a century-old venue with almost 4,000 seats. The company would bring stars from Broadway and their own roster of scripted series, late night, sports and...
- 12/20/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount Global won’t hold forth at New York’s Carnegie Hall during TV’s “upfront” season, signaling some of the many changes taking place in the ways traditional media companies talk to Madison Avenue about matching commercials with content.
Paramount, owner of CBS, Nickelodeon and Paramount+, “will be hosting a series of high-impact, intimate gatherings in April for each of our major agency partners and their clients in lieu of our traditional presence at Carnegie Hall,” said John Halley, the company’s new president of U.S. ad sales, in a statement. “We believe this expanded format will prove more effective in facilitating our upcoming Upfront discussions.”
The former CBS Corp., now part of Paramount, has used Wednesdays for years to mount a big show for advertisers. The perch has long symbolized the strength of the TV business, and CBS has relied for years, on guests such as The...
Paramount, owner of CBS, Nickelodeon and Paramount+, “will be hosting a series of high-impact, intimate gatherings in April for each of our major agency partners and their clients in lieu of our traditional presence at Carnegie Hall,” said John Halley, the company’s new president of U.S. ad sales, in a statement. “We believe this expanded format will prove more effective in facilitating our upcoming Upfront discussions.”
The former CBS Corp., now part of Paramount, has used Wednesdays for years to mount a big show for advertisers. The perch has long symbolized the strength of the TV business, and CBS has relied for years, on guests such as The...
- 12/20/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Restructuring, streamlining and realignment. We’ve been hearing that phrasing quite a bit over the past few months as media congloms have been thinning out their top executive ranks and targeting efficiencies to improve their balance sheets in a time when the effects from the pandemic are being exacerbated by the impact of the economic slowdown, high inflation and a looming recession.
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CBS president and CEO George Cheeks used the “restructuring and streamlining” language in his memos yesterday announcing the exits of Kelly Kahl, a 26-year CBS veteran,...
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CBS president and CEO George Cheeks used the “restructuring and streamlining” language in his memos yesterday announcing the exits of Kelly Kahl, a 26-year CBS veteran,...
- 11/17/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount Global is expected to lay off fewer than 100 employees in Los Angeles and New York, The Wrap has confirmed.
The majority of the cuts will impact the company’s ad sales group, which has been undergoing a transformation overseen by new Paramount Advertising head John Halley. Employees in the CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios divisions will also be affected.
The job cuts come after Paramount Global president Bob Bakish warned during the company’s third quarter earnings call earlier this month about “ongoing macroeconomic pressures” impacting the industry and advertising market.
“As we navigate this period, Paramount will continue to rely on the fiscally disciplined approach that has been our advantage in good times and bad,” Bakish said at the time. “We have always been mindful of cost management as a company, and we are now taking additional steps to improve efficiency across our
organization.”
Also Read:
Paramount...
The majority of the cuts will impact the company’s ad sales group, which has been undergoing a transformation overseen by new Paramount Advertising head John Halley. Employees in the CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios divisions will also be affected.
The job cuts come after Paramount Global president Bob Bakish warned during the company’s third quarter earnings call earlier this month about “ongoing macroeconomic pressures” impacting the industry and advertising market.
“As we navigate this period, Paramount will continue to rely on the fiscally disciplined approach that has been our advantage in good times and bad,” Bakish said at the time. “We have always been mindful of cost management as a company, and we are now taking additional steps to improve efficiency across our
organization.”
Also Read:
Paramount...
- 11/16/2022
- by Lucas Manfredi and Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Paramount Global is winnowing down its ad-sales staff after the unit was recently restructured by its new leader.
The job losses are said to number fewer than 100, according to a person familiar with the matter, and come after John Halley, named president of Paramount Global’s ad-sales efforts in September, realigned much of his staff to focus on direct relationships with major media-buying agencies.
Paramount Global declined to make executives available for comment. Executives who were recently elevated or given new senior roles in ad sales are expected to remain, this persons said. Deadline previously reported on the company’s job cuts.
The move comes at a time of upheaval not just for the company formerly known as ViacomCBS, but for the entire entertainment industry as it grapples with a downturn in advertising sales and a roiling stock market, as well as a continued migration of consumers to streaming video.
The job losses are said to number fewer than 100, according to a person familiar with the matter, and come after John Halley, named president of Paramount Global’s ad-sales efforts in September, realigned much of his staff to focus on direct relationships with major media-buying agencies.
Paramount Global declined to make executives available for comment. Executives who were recently elevated or given new senior roles in ad sales are expected to remain, this persons said. Deadline previously reported on the company’s job cuts.
The move comes at a time of upheaval not just for the company formerly known as ViacomCBS, but for the entire entertainment industry as it grapples with a downturn in advertising sales and a roiling stock market, as well as a continued migration of consumers to streaming video.
- 11/16/2022
- by Brian Steinberg and Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Layoffs are under way at Paramount Global, with several dozen employees expected to formalize their departures today, insiders have confirmed to Deadline.
The cuts, which are expected to affect fewer than 100 workers in both New York and Los Angeles, are concentrated largely in the ad sales group. CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios employees are also affected, sources added.
Related Story Paramount Global CFO Says Ad Market Soft But Not "Anything Close To” Covid Days Related Story Paramount Global Stock Flies As Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Boosts Stake Related Story The CW To Shed Wbd, Paramount Content In 2023-24 Season; Former Owners "Not Precluded From Selling Us Programming" If It's "A Deal We Like," Says Nexstar CEO
A number of business areas had been publicly targeted for streamlining in recent weeks, among them international operations, marketing and ad sales. The sales group has been undergoing a transformation in recent weeks,...
The cuts, which are expected to affect fewer than 100 workers in both New York and Los Angeles, are concentrated largely in the ad sales group. CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios employees are also affected, sources added.
Related Story Paramount Global CFO Says Ad Market Soft But Not "Anything Close To” Covid Days Related Story Paramount Global Stock Flies As Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Boosts Stake Related Story The CW To Shed Wbd, Paramount Content In 2023-24 Season; Former Owners "Not Precluded From Selling Us Programming" If It's "A Deal We Like," Says Nexstar CEO
A number of business areas had been publicly targeted for streamlining in recent weeks, among them international operations, marketing and ad sales. The sales group has been undergoing a transformation in recent weeks,...
- 11/16/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount Global is shaking up the way it communicates with Madison Avenue.
Karen Phillips, Chris Simon and David Lawenda were given new duties under a team that is now being directed by John Halley, who was named president of the operation in September. The moves effectively merge ad-sales teams that had been devoted separately to sales related to assets that had in the past been assigned to either the former CBS Corp. or Viacom Inc., the two companies that merged in late 2019 to form Paramount Global.
The new ad-sales team is being structured to that specific executives are assigned to work with individual media-buying agencies. Phillips, for example, will now overseeing Paramount’s relationships with Omnicom Media Group, GroupM, and Horizon Media, as well as the development of new business. Simon will supervise Paramount’s relationships with Interpublic Group, Dentsu and Publicis. Lawenda will serve as chief digital advertising officer,...
Karen Phillips, Chris Simon and David Lawenda were given new duties under a team that is now being directed by John Halley, who was named president of the operation in September. The moves effectively merge ad-sales teams that had been devoted separately to sales related to assets that had in the past been assigned to either the former CBS Corp. or Viacom Inc., the two companies that merged in late 2019 to form Paramount Global.
The new ad-sales team is being structured to that specific executives are assigned to work with individual media-buying agencies. Phillips, for example, will now overseeing Paramount’s relationships with Omnicom Media Group, GroupM, and Horizon Media, as well as the development of new business. Simon will supervise Paramount’s relationships with Interpublic Group, Dentsu and Publicis. Lawenda will serve as chief digital advertising officer,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
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