Viacom Names Chief Information Officer

NEW YORK: David Kline is to join Viacom on November 1 from Discovery Communications, serving in the role of senior VP of technology and chief information officer for Viacom and MTV Networks.

Kline will oversee the MTV Networks online technology and interactive services, content creation and distribution technologies, application development and information security and compliance. He will report to both James Barge, Viacom’s chief financial officer, and Rich Eigendorff, MTV Networks’ COO.

At Discovery Communications Kline most recently served as executive VP and chief information office. He had been with Discovery since 2007, and prior to this was with Rainbow Media Holdings for nearly 10 years.

Eigendorff said, "As a global media company, our business comes with all the challenges and complexities of delivering content across screens to audiences around the world. David has the breadth of experience and the depth of strategic thinking to build the best technological infrastructure for our operations, our brands, and our fans. We’re thrilled to have him aboard."

Barge added, "David is an outstanding leader, accomplished strategist and a great fit for Viacom. Our operations depend on innovative and efficient use of advanced technology for everything from administrative systems to content distribution to emerging advertising models. David’s extensive industry experience and strong record of across-the-board creativity and achievement made him an excellent choice for this important role at Viacom, and we look forward to working with him on plans to take our IT operations to the next level."