Japan will stay outside Robbins' remit, however, it has been hived off as a separate division, under current executive V-P and MD of MTVN Japan, Peter Bullard. Both Bullard and Robbins will report to Bill Roedy, vice-chairman of MTV Networks and president of MTV Networks International.
In recent months, Robbins has also been overseeing MTV Networks in India as interim MD pending the arrival of Amit Jain, regional VP for Coca-Cola. Jain is set to join the broadcaster in January after 11 years with Coke, and will also be EVP for MTV Networks Asia. Jain's appointment comes in the wake of the departure of Alex Kuruvilla, who quit the youth channel in June 2005.
No replacement for Robbins as Australia MD had been appointed at press time. Roedy said that MTVN's Japan growth plans remained unchanged. "I wanted to give more direct management to Japan," he said, "particularly in the area of digital marketing... Our expertise in developing new products like our Flux mobile entertainment brand can be transferred to other markets."
Additional reporting by Rajiv Banerjee
Robbins fills Brown's job at MTV
Nigel Robbins, managing director of MTV Networks Australia, is to relocate from Sydney to Singapore as president for MTV Networks Asia-Pacific in January, taking over from Frank Brown, who relocated to Sydney earlier this year.
