New York, NY – November 1, 2006 – fuse, the nation's only viewer-influenced, music television network, announced today that Joanne Freed has been named Vice President, Consumer Public Relations for fuse. Freed is charged with spearheading publicity strategies and implementing campaigns for the network's music programming initiatives. Additionally, she will oversee and manage fuse's publicity staff, its PR agency and the department's budget. Freed reports to Ellen Kroner, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Marketing, Rainbow Media Holdings.
"Joanne's extensive experience in entertainment publicity, teen marketing and branding for consumer packaged goods makes her the perfect candidate to promote fuse," said Kroner. "She will serve an integral role as the network continues to offer music-centric programming across all multi-media platforms."
Prior to fuse, Freed served as Vice President/Group Manager, Brand Practice at Ketchum where she was the senior agency account contact servicing the Pokémon USA, Inc., Stayfree Girls in the Director's Chair, Alka-Seltzer and Merial accounts. Before that, she was Vice President, Marketing Communications Group at Fleishman Hillard, Inc. where she managed and executed large-scale publicity campaigns and high-profile special events for a variety of clients including the 2003, 2002 and 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, the MAC Viva Glam V launch, and Steinway & Son's 150th Anniversary, among many others. She began her career as an Account Associate in the Food & Nutrition Group at Ketchum.
Since 1998, Freed has received various accolades and awards including: 2005 PRSA Silver Anvil Winner: Yahoo! Personals Takes Online Dating to New Heights with Live Billboard Campaign; 2005 Gold SABRE Award: Yahoo! Personals Takes Online Dating to New Heights with Live Billboard Campaign; 2004 PRSA-NY Big Apple Award: Steinway & Sons 150th Anniversary; 2004 PR Week Award Finalist/Honorable Mention: Steinway & Sons 150th Anniversary; 2003 Silver SABRE Award: Hasbro Games Trivial Pursuit's 20th Anniversary: A Celebration of All Things Trivial; 2000 PRSA Silver Anvil Finalist: P&G's Swiffer: Making a Clean Sweep of America…One Room at a Time; 1999 CIPRA Finalist: Bestfoods' "Running of the 'Live' Bulls" on Wall Street; 1998 PRSA-NY Big Apple Award: Richard Branson's Virgin Cola Enters the Cola Wars; and 1998 CIPRA Finalist: Entenmann's Celebrates its Centennial with the World's Largest Crumbcake.
Freed earned a Bachelor of Sciences in Speech Communications from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. She is currently a member of the New York Chapter of the Entertainment Publicists Professional Society, of which she served as Co-chair from 2003-2005.
About fuse
fuse is the nation's only viewer-influenced, music television network, featuring music videos, exclusive artist interviews, live concerts, series and specials. fuse reflects the rapidly changing interests and attitudes of its 12-34 year-old audience by uniting the media platforms at the center of their communication and entertainment – TV, Web, mobile technologies and interactive gaming and by incorporating their opinions and suggestions into the network's on-air and online programming. More information about fuse is available at www.fuse.tv.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media creates and manages some of the country's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands including popular national and regional television channels AMC, fuse, The Independent Film Channel (IFC), WE tv, and two FSN affiliated regional sports networks managed by Rainbow Sports Networks. The company also manages Mag Rack and sportskool, two original on-demand networks; VOOM HD Networks, the largest and most diverse suite of high definition channels available anywhere; IFC Entertainment, its film distribution, production and exhibition division; Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division; and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.