Cohen to temp in ABC promo post

Marketing veep helps with on-air duties, no replacement eyed

By JENNY HONTZ

Alan Cohen, ABC's executive VP of marketing and research, has been asked to take over duties for on-air promotion until the network can find a someone to replace Jim Vescera, sources said.

Cohen will be relocating from New York to Los Angeles for a couple of months to help the network with on-air promotion for the May sweeps.

Vescera, who was ABC's senior VP of on-air promotion, ankled ABC several weeks ago and recently signed with former employer NBC. The post has been vacant ever since then.

ABC's on-air promotion has been the source of criticism all season, and some execs within and outside the company feel the tremendous promotional opportunity provided by the recent Academy Awards telecast was largely squandered.

The Cohen move is seen as a short-term fix, but no solid candidates for a permanent replacement have yet emerged.