- Tom Freston
Thomas E. Freston (born
22 November 1945 ) is an American television executive who most recently served asPresident andChief Executive Officer of the post-splitViacom , until his resignation on September 5, 2006.Freston began his career in the field of
advertising , but later moved toNew Delhi , where he ran atextile andclothing business for eight years. After returning to theUnited States , where he worked for Benton & Bowles advertising agency (which later merged with D'Arcy) on the Charmin Toilet Paper account.Later on, choosing to change directions with his life, Freston saw an ad in a newspaper that a music channel was being developed and joined
Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment (WASEC) in 1980, which later becameMTV Networks . In 1981, he was one of the founding members of MTV: Music Television, and as the head ofmarketing , created the "I want my MTV"ad campaign . In 1987 he became the CEO of MTV Networks.As CEO, Freston used his position to advance his networks' positions in new markets, both domestic and overseas, receiving increasing ratings every year, and launching several ancillary product lines featuring various segments and characters from popular series within his networks, including previous and current tie-ins, with "
Double Dare ", "Beavis and Butt-head ", "Dora the Explorer ", "Blue's Clues ", "Rugrats ", "SpongeBob SquarePants ", "The Fairly OddParents ", "South Park ", "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart ", "Behind the Music ", "The Real World ", and "Total Request Live ".In 2004, after
Viacom President & COOMel Karmazin stepped down (he later went on to become Chairman & CEO ofSirius Satellite Radio ), Freston was named Co-President & Co-COO of Viacom (along withLeslie Moonves ). Freston oversaw all cable network properties (MTV Networks and Showtime Networks), the motion picture businesses ofParamount Pictures , and the publishing operations of Simon & Schuster.This dual appointment led to some confusion as to who would take over Viacom when Chairman & CEO
Sumner Redstone retired. The uncertainty regarding succession was resolved in June 2005 when the Viacom board of directors agreed to split the corporation into two separate companies. The newly-splitCBS Corporation is now headed by Moonves. The new Viacom, Inc. includes Paramount Pictures and both MTV and BET television networks, was headed by Freston until Redstone replaced him withPhilippe Dauman , Freston resigning September 5, 2006. Redstone remains the majority shareholder and chairman of both companies.Educated at
Saint Michael's College andNew York University , Freston is currently on the Board of Trustees forEmerson College inBoston .Freston filed suit on behalf of his disabled son Gilbert in "
New York City Board of Education v. Tom F. " alegal case to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.External links
* [http://www.viacom.com Viacom Inc.]
* [http://www.viacom.com/management.jhtml#10000028 Official Biography from Viacom Web Site]
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