ABC NEWS ANNOUNCES 3 OPERATIONS POSITIONS

ABC News President David Westin today announced three new operations positions: Todd Donovan has joined the network as vice president, news technology, Chris Myers has been named executive director for newsgathering operations, and Renu Thomas has been named executive director of news program operations.

“This new structure will help ensure that all parts of ABC News will have the most advanced tools available to report the news for all of our broadcasts and platforms,” said Westin. “Todd joins ABC News with more than 15 years of television engineering and operations experience, and he is the right person to develop and implement our overall strategy to gain full advantage from new technology. Chris has been instrumental in several important initiatives during his tenure at ABC NewsOne, and Renu brings a deep understanding of our television broadcasts to her new role. Together, they are a forward-thinking and innovative operations team.”

As vice president, news technology, Donovan will work with ABC News’ management and the broadcast operations and engineering, finance, and the human resources departments to direct technical resources across ABC News’ broadcasts and platforms worldwide. Reporting to Westin, he will lead the effort to identify and acquire the most promising new technologies and integrate them strategically across all ABC News platforms. The Digital Bullpen and ABC’s Continuity and Crisis Management directors will report to Donovan.

As executive director for newsgathering operations, Myers will be responsible for operations and logistics for ABC’s newsgathering efforts. He will oversee newsgathering operations, the logistics desk, the news acquisition center (which includes ABC’s Satellite Desk and ABSAT) and the transport desk to provide technical and production support for all news assignments, including extensive remote origination for all programs. He will work closely with the assignment desk in New York and ABC’s bureaus around the world. Myers will report to Kate O’Brian, senior vice president of newsgathering.

As executive director of news program operations, Thomas will direct technical and operational resources across ABC News’ broadcasts, including Good Morning America and its weekend editions, World News with Charles Gibson and its weekend editions, Nightline, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Primetime,  20/20, World News Now and America This Morning, as well as the special events and the long form units. Thomas will participate in the strategic development of new technologies and their implementation across ABC News’ various platforms, and will also work closely with the broadcasts’ executive producers and the finance department. She will report to Dave Davis, executive vice president.