Wolf named MTV big dog
Net nets new prexy, COO
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"I've spent a lot of time burrowing deep into the operation, so my learning curve won't be steep," said Wolf, who fills a job that has remained vacant for more than a year, when Mark Rosenthal resigned to eventually become chairman and CEO of media buyer Interpublic.
Wolf, who reports to Judy McGrath, chairman and CEO of MTV Networks, said, "My role will be to help put the infrastructure in place for the next wave of growth, in areas like wireless, wi-fi and consumer electronics."
The Internet is where Wolf thinks MTV can make a killing, having already begun by creating Overdrive for MTV, the V-Spot for VH1, Turbo-Nick for Nickelodeon and the Mother Lode for Comedy Central.
MTV has to be aggressive in these areas, he continued, because "in the next few years, 80% of homes in the U.S. will have broadband," whose high-speed access capability will increasingly blur the lines between Internet broadband and cable television.
The young viewers MTV and Comedy Central cater to are in the vanguard, according to Wolf. "They're the trendsetters, the video junkies -- they buy the new products, try the new things."
Because these Internet services will be advertiser-supported, they'll be free to computer users.
Warming to the subject, Wolf said, "Our viewers want to watch TV shows outside the home." So portability becomes a key to MTV Networks' future, he continued, which is why the company plans to continue funneling as much of its programming as is feasible to cell phones and videogame players.
The divisions that report to Wolf include advertising sales, marketing, affiliate sales, business development, legal affairs, finance, information systems/technology and production operations. McGrath calls him "one of the most respected business and advertising strategists in our industry, and our trusted senior adviser for over a decade."
Wolf joined McKinsey in 2001 after serving as a senior partner with Booz Allen Hamilton.
