Turner Research Shake-Up as Fischer Departs

Market strategist Barry Fischer is leaving Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting unit after twelve years, prompting a reorganisation of the group's research, marketing and media buying organization.

According to www.mediapost.com the memo announcing the departure of Executive VP-Market Strategy Fischer, sent by Turner Executive Vice President Kelly Regal on Friday, did not indicate the reasons for his leaving or his likely next move.

Early in his time at the company, Fischer led the so-called 'Media at the Millennium' studies, a series of sophisticated research projects which repositioned the way big advertisers and agencies thought about the role of cable vs. broadcast TV in their media mixes, using then-leading edge analytics to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of shifting sizeable ad budgets from network to cable TV. This made him 'a hero not just inside Turner, but in the cable industry at large' according to Mediapost.

Friday's memo says several parts of the Turner organization will be restructured, with the recruitment of a new Atlanta-based Senior Vice President to run the media buying group, and further reorganization covering the rest of Fischer's research and marketing responsibilities. Two senior researchers who reported to Fischer - head of 'media currency' Susan Nathan and Knowledge Center Director Joyce Magruder - will join the research operations overseen by Chief Research Officer Jack Wakshlag.

Last month the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) restructured its ad sales research division with the promotion of three key executives, Katie Larkin to SVP of Turner Entertainment and Sports Ad Sales Research and Strategy; Jay Leon to VP of Turner Sports Sales Research; and Jeff Grant to SVP of the Sales, Marketing & Enterprises segment.

Web site: www.turner.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.