Viacom has chosen Kelly Day, a well-traveled digital executive who had been serving as chief business officer at AwesomenessTV, to lead the media company’s new digital studios unit. She will begin her new role on Nov. 20.
As ratings erosion and cord-cutting threaten Viacom’s once-invincible portfolio of linear cable networks, the company has made a concerted push into digital. Its new digital studio will focus on creating and expanding digital content across the company.
Day will work with brands in the Viacom portfolio to build a “collaborated, coordinated approach to digital,” the official announcement said. Her mission will include leading creative and editorial production for Viacom’s social-media channels.
“Kelly has an impressive track record of building successful digital businesses, and I am so pleased to have her on board to accelerate our push into digital-native content,” said CEO Bob Bakish in a press release. “She and our new Viacom Digital Studios group will ensure that we are delivering more, better aligned and digital-first experiences, helping us to further grow the reach of our brands with our diverse audiences and introducing more opportunities for our advertising and distribution partners.”
Day joins Viacom from AwesomenessTV, where she was chief digital officer and chief business officer. She previously served as CEO of pioneering online video platform Blip Networks, which was later acquired by Maker Studios. She also held several exec titles at Discovery and worked for The Knot and AOL.
