Executive Suite: ZDTV Names Joe Gillespie Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer - Company Operations - Brief Article

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, May 17, 1999

ZDTV, a unit of Ziff-Davis, has appointed Joe Gillespie to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

In his new position, effective June 1, Mr. Gillespie will be responsible for advertising sales for both television and the Web, affiliate sales and marketing, business development, and the channel's international business.

Mr. Gillespie was previously Executive Vice President of Corporate Sales for Ziff-Davis and directed the company's efforts to deliver integrated marketing solutions to leading and emerging marketers in the high-tech field. A 15-year veteran of high-technology publishing and marketing, Mr. Gillespie directed an organization of nearly 30 sales and marketing professionals, and ran the company's cross-product/cross-platform sales efforts for more than five years. He previously held sales and management positions at PC Magazine and MIS Week. He began his career at CBS Sports, and is a journalism graduate of Rutgers University.

"We're very pleased to have a seasoned professional of Joe's caliber to oversee our advertising sales, affiliate sales, marketing, and other ZDTV business initiatives," said Larry Wangberg, President and CEO of ZDTV. "Joe's talent and knowledge of the industry will be extremely valuable to us as we continue to aggressively position ZDTV as television's leading source for news and information about computers, technology, and the Internet."

ZDTV reaches more than 11 million homes in the United States. The channel currently has distribution agreements with 88 cable operators, and is available in 231 cable systems and through two major satellite companies, DirecTV and EchoStar. ZDTV is distributed by many of the largest multiple system operators (MSOs) in the industry, including AT&T/TCI, Cox Communications, and Comcast.

On February 5, 1999, Paul G. Allen's Vulcan Ventures finalized its strategic investment of $54 million for a one-third interest in ZDTV. This new partnership, as well as the strong support from viewers, distribution partners, and advertisers, reinforces Ziff-Davis's belief in the importance of having a television destination for the Internet.

ZDTV is a 24-hour cable television channel about computers, technology, and the Internet. The channel appeals to a wide range of viewers from the computer novice to the technology expert. Produced in its own digital state-of-the-art studios in San Francisco, ZDTV's programming ranges from daily industry news to insightful features on emerging technologies. Specific shows include Internet Tonight, The Money Machine, ZDTV News, Call For Help, GameSpot TV, The Screen Savers, Fresh Gear, Big Thinkers, Computer Shopper, and Silicon Spin.

As an integrated Web site to ZDTV, ZDTV.com enhances the television channel by providing dynamic, interactive programming that invites audience participation through the Internet. ZDTV, an affiliate of Ziff-Davis, is one-third owned by Vulcan Ventures.