New appointments to focus on content sales around US elections, digital products and branded channel launches
CNN has appointed a new Commercial Director, EMEA, and Head of Product for its Content Sales, Partnerships and Out of Home business as it increases its content and services offering for international affiliates and partners.
Kostas Oikonomou joins CNN International as Commercial Director, Content Sales and Partnerships, EMEA, to work with existing and new TV and digital publishers across the region to license CNN’s award-winning content, utilise CNN reporting, consultancy and training, and launch CNN-branded linear and digital channels. Oikonomou has a long track-record of editorial, commercial and consultancy roles at Discovery Communications, Al-Jazeera English, Associated Press and NBC News.
Hristo Guertchev is appointed as CNN International’s Head of Product for Content Sales and Out of Home. Guertchev will work closely with CNN editorial, technology and commercial teams to define, develop and deliver products and services for CNN’s international TV and digital affiliate publishers and out of home partners such as hotels and airlines. Guertchev joins CNN International Commercial from Reuters, where he spent six years in a range of commercial and product roles, most recently as Senior Product Manager, Video.
The appointments come at an important time for CNN International Commercial as it offers partners an enhanced offering for CNN content – particularly from CNN Politics in the build-up to the US Elections – and a wider range of training, consultancy and brand licensing opportunities. This portfolio of services spans: the CNN Journalism Fellowship programme, which has trained over 1,000 journalists from CNN affiliates since it was launched in 1989 and now includes Digital and Leadership training programmes; full-service support and consultancy to launch new affiliate channels such as the successful N1 channel in the Adria region; and working closely with partners to launch CNN-branded linear and digital channels such as CNN Philippines, CNN Indonesia and digital-only service CNN Greece. New products planned for CNN International clients include an API and new forms of digital delivery of content to publishers and out of home partners.
Both Guertchev and Oikonomou report to Greg Beitchman, Vice President, Content Sales and Partnerships, CNN International.
“I’m delighted to have Kostas and Hristo on-board to spearhead CNN International’s growth in content sales and services for our growing range of partners,” said Greg Beitchman. “CNN has the distinctive content, trusted brand values and decades-long know-how to help linear and digital publishers remain relevant in a news landscape that continues to change at rapid pace. As 2016 looks set to be a busy news year in sports, politics, business and news, CNN International Commercial is committed to bringing a greater range of content and services to our partners.”
About Kostas Oikonomou
Kostas Oikonomou has a history of working on both the journalistic and commercial sides of news and media organisations. Most recently in strategic consulting for Discovery Communications, Kostas previously spent eight years at Al-Jazeera English in a variety of roles across digital and TV, consultancy, business development and editorial. Based in Washington and Doha, Oikonomou managed large teams to deliver news coverage and in business areas such as strategic planning and analytics. Prior to Al-Jazeera, he held editorial roles at Associated Press and NBC News, including covering the 2004 Olympics in his home city of Athens. Oikonomou gained an MBA from Said Business School, University of Oxford, UK, in 2012.
About Hristo Guertchev
Hristo Guertchev joins CNN after six years at Reuters News Agency where he held business development and product roles in Switzerland, Singapore and London. Most recently as Senior Product Manager, Guertchev has managed the Reuters video portfolio and defined commercial policy for broadcast and digital products. He also delivered new propositions such as a multi-million dollar revenue-generating live streaming video product. In 2014, Guertchev was selected for Thomson Reuters Leadership Development Programme and holds a Masters in International Management at the London School of Economics and ESADE Barcelona.
About CNN International
CNN’s portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms reaching more than 400 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America and recently expanded its U.S. presence with its launch on CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. Over the years CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. CNN has 42 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is part of Turner, a Time Warner company. (Source: CNN press release)