Jill Offman Named MD for Comedy Central & MTV in U.K.

LONDON: Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has tapped Jill Offman to lead both Comedy Central and MTV in the U.K.

Offman currently serves as the managing director of Comedy Central U.K. She will take up the same title for MTV U.K., leading the programming teams for both brands while overseeing all their original commissions and acquisitions, as well as research, marketing, communications and creative. Additionally, the exec will work closely with Ben Frow, Channel 5’s director of programs, to increase the amount of content that can be shared between that network and either MTV or Comedy Central.

Along with her U.K. editorial and brand responsibilities, Offman will have management oversight of both the Comedy Central and MTV brands in more than 30 countries that form part of VIMN’s pan-regional operations managed out of the U.K., including the U.K. itself, Australia, Hungary and Russia. This remit will see her reporting to James Currell, VIMN U.K.’s COO.

Offman takes over MTV’s management responsibilities from Kerry Taylor, who has been upped to VIMN U.K.’s first chief marketing officer. Both Offman and Taylor retain international management roles with VIMN, with Offman also becoming brand and content lead for Comedy Central International in her role as senior VP of comedy for VIMN, while Taylor is also senior VP of youth and music for VIMN, giving her oversight of the MTV brand and its non-music programming outside the U.S.

David Lynn, the president of VIMN U.K., Australia and Eastern Europe, said: “Jill has given outstanding leadership for Comedy Central, delivering consistently strong share growth and firmly establishing it amongst the very most popular TV channels in the U.K. with young audiences. Encouraging greater collaboration between our brands will allow them to compete more effectively for the attention of young audiences in a very crowded and fast-moving TV market and allow us to identify new creative opportunities both for the brands and the amazing talent, like Jill and Kerry, we employ.”