Station elevations

Viacom ups Rajewski, Zappala in TV redo

By MELISSA GREGO

Rajewski

Viacom has revamped the exec lineup and reporting structure of its television station biz, elevating station group execs Raymond Rajewski and Tom Zappala to new posts.

Rajewski has leaped from head of programming for the UPN stations to exec VP of the Viacom Television Stations Group, reporting to the group's prexy, Fred Reynolds.

Zappala, who had been VP of programming for the UPN stations, has been upped to the role of senior VP of programming for Viacom Television Stations, reporting to Rajewski.

The Viacom Television Stations Group consists of 35 stations: 16 CBS O&Os and 19 UPN stations. The Paramount Station Group and the CBS Television Stations Group were brought together as one division last year after Viacom and CBS merged. The PSG stations have since been redubbed UPN stations.

Moczulski tops promo

When the initial station group integration plans were announced about a year ago, Rajewski was said to serve as exec veep of programming and marketing for the UPN stations, while CBS exec John Moczulski held the identical title among the CBS stations.

But Moczulski will now oversee marketing and promotion for the Viacom stations group, under the restructuring confirmed by a Viacom TV Stations spokesman Monday. Moczulski will serve as senior VP and report to Rajewski and Reynolds.

Insiders said that 17 of the group's stations -- mainly UPN outlets -- will report directly to Rajewski as part of the division's reconfiguration. Eighteen outlets -- CBS stations and stations in markets where Viacom has a duopoly -- will report to Reynolds.

Joel Cheatwood, news director at WCBS New York, is expected to continue overseeing news groupwide.

Last month's appointment of Richard Sheingold as prexy of CBS spot sales and exec veep of sales for Viacom TV Stations remains in force ( Daily Variety, June 7).

Need-to-know basis

While Zappala's appointment was announced Monday, the rest of the restructuring was not. But insiders said the info was disseminated internally to staffers by multiple memos.

Earlier this year, former Viacom exec VP and chief financial officer Reynolds took on the post of prexy of Viacom TV Stations Group, a role that previously had been held by John Severino ( Daily Variety, March 27).

Severino, who had been CBS station group head before that, also has served as G.M. of CBS station KCBS Los Angeles, a post he'll likewise ankle once a replacement is found.