Exec Shuffle

By VARIETY STAFF

Virgin Records has upped Ken Pedersen to exec VP of the label's stateside operation. The industry vet will oversee Virgin's finance, production and information technology arms. Pedersen also will maintain close ties with execs helming the recently acquired Narada Records, as well as coordinate Virgin's relationships with Higher Octane Records and Westwood Promotions. With the EMI Group family since 1987, Pedersen moves up from his CFO-senior VP post.

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Gary D. Silver has been appointed VP of business affairs at CBS Entertainment. He will be responsible for the entertainment division's business and financial matters, including the negotiation of talent contracts and license fee agreements. Silver joins from Atlantis Films, where he served as VP of business and legal affairs. He also did a stint at TriStar Television.

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Jeff Shell has been upped to executive VP and CFO at Fox/Liberty Networks. Advancing from his post of senior VP, finance and development, Shell will continue to direct all financial operations for each of the Fox/Liberty divisions, including Fox Sports Net, FX and Fit TV. He's been with Fox since 1994.

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The House of Luce has been doing some shuffling, tapping John Squires prexy at Entertainment Weekly and naming Michael Klingensmith presi-dent at Sports Illustrated. Squires had been head of consumer marketing at Time Inc.'s magazine division, and managed Time Distribution Services and Warner Publisher Services. Klingensmith, who helped conceive the idea for Entertainment Weekly, was the mag's founding publisher.

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David Pearson has been upped to senior VP of operations at Warner Bros. Intl. Theatres. A 25-year vet in exhibition operations, Pearson joined Warner Bros. in 1994 after two decades with the AMC chain. Pearson will have expanded duties encompassing the operation of existing theaters and in the development and operation of future sites in Europe and Asia.