Rudder, Fenton join Nine Network

World Brief

By DON GROVES

The Nine Network has plugged two gaps in its exec ranks, hiring Jim Rudder as director of news and current affairs and Gary Fenton as head of sport.

Rudder, a long-serving exec at Rupert Murdoch's U.K. satcaster BSkyB, was on secondment as director of news and sports at Italy's new paybox Sky Italia.

Rudder, who starts in June, replaces Peter Meakin, who was poached by the Seven web. Fenton, who joined Nine as director of host broadcasting for the Commonwealth Games, was made acting head of sport in December after Gary Burns was let go.