SATELLITE & CABLE: Top staff depart satellite ventures for dotcoms

<p>An increasing number of top cable and satellite TV veterans are </p><p>quitting the business to take up positions within the booming dotcom </p><p>industry. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>CNBC Asia president Paul France, who oversaw the launch of Asian </p><p>Business News and its subsequent merger with CNBC, has signed off to </p><p>join Singapore-based dotcom company FantasticOne. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Over at Discovery Channel Asia, recently-promoted marketing and </p><p>communications director Anya McDonald also decided to take up a new </p><p>career in the Internet world. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>She will be the regional marketing director of an Asia-based auction </p><p>website, Surfingbananas.com, which is held by Similan.com. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Meanwhile, ESPN Star Sports managing director Alexander Brown will leave </p><p>the sports channel in December, after nine years of service. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Brown helped to grow ESPN from a one-man operation at launch to its </p><p>current 53 million subsription base, and oversaw the creation of the </p><p>ESPN Star Sports joint venture. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Rik Dovey, currently senior VP of production, operations and </p><p>engineering at ESS, will replace Mr Brown. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Other departures have included Mr James Buklarewicz from AXN Asia, who </p><p>headed up the station since its launch in 1997. Mr Todd Miller, who was </p><p>VP of sales for Columbia Tristar International Television, has replaced </p><p>Mr Buklarewicz. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>

by | 05/26/2000