Current Media Names Ken Ripley EVP of Advertising Sales

Current Media--the company founded by former vice president, Al Gore, and his business partner, Joel Hyatt, that operates Current TV, an interactive TV channel devoted to short-form informational programs, dubbed "pods," around 30% of which are contributed by viewers via its Web site (note: the channel, whose distribution partners include Comcast, Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Dish Network, Verizon, AT&T, BSkyB, Virgin Media, and Sky Italia, also invites viewers to help determine its programming schedule by voting for video submissions on its site)--announced Tuesday that it has appointed Ken Ripley as EVP of advertising sales. According to the company, Ripley, who will be based in its New York office, has over 20 years of advertising sales experience, encompassing national cable, satellite, network, syndication, interactive TV, VOD and in-game advertising platforms. Last month, Current Media, which claims that it is enjoying "rapid growth," announced that it had appointed cable-industry veteran, Mark Rosenthal, as CEO (see the article published on itvt.com, July 20th). "I am delighted to bring in a talented leader like Ken Ripley to build upon the successful participatory advertising platform at Current Media," Rosenthal said in a prepared statement. "Ken has been a pioneer in the industry and has a long history of developing innovative programs that are a win for both consumers and the advertisers looking to reach them."

According to Current Media, Ripley will be tasked with drawing on his cross-media experience to form partnerships with global brands and agencies, in order to implement strategic initiatives to reach what the company describes as its "coveted influencer demographic." In addition to expanding Current's Viewer Created Ad Message (VCAM) program (note: the program invites viewers to upload their own video ads for participating brands; if their spot airs on Current's own channel, they receive $2,500, and if a brand chooses to air it elsewhere, they can earn up to $60,000, the company promises; more information on the program is available at: http://current.com/make/ad.htm), Ripley will be tasked with developing what Current describes as "the next generation" of its advertising products, which it says will "empower consumers to promote brands with innovative peer-to-peer marketing tools and programs." "Initiatives such as the VCAM program have made Current Media an undisputed leader in advertising innovation," Ripley said in a prepared statement. "I'm thrilled that I have an opportunity to work with the senior leadership in developing new tools and further exposing the Current brand to an audience of brands hungry for original approaches."

Ripley was previously EVP of global advertising sales for in-game advertising company, IGA Worldwide, where, according to Current, he oversaw a sales organization that worked with over 100 companies to tailor messages specifically to in-game audiences. He also served as VP of sales development at Discovery Communications, where, Current says, he built a new sales division, bringing in over 40 new national TV advertising clients; and prior to that he was national sales manager for Discovery's Emerging Network group. His resume also includes a stint as VP of advertiser sales for TiVo, where, according to Current, he launched TiVovision, an interactive TV marketing system for advertiser on-demand messaging, and signed numerous charter advertisers. Prior to working at TiVo, he was VP of advertiser sales for Columbia TriStar Television, where he managed ad sales for DirecTV's and Game Show Networks.