Press Releases & News Briefs

SPROUT NAMES TOM ALEXANDER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING

Philadelphia, PA - September 2, 2008 - Tom Alexander, a seasoned professional with 20 years experience in all aspects of television marketing and brand management, has joined 24-hour preschool network PBS KIDS Sprout as senior vice president of marketing.  Reporting to network president Sandy Wax, Alexander joins Sprout at its Philadelphia headquarters today.   

Responsible for leading all marketing and digital media efforts for Sprout, Alexander will drive strategy for consumer, trade, affiliate and interactive marketing to build awareness, distribution, viewership and loyalty for the Sprout brand.  Additionally, he will lead the ongoing development of SproutOnline.com, as well as any future digital content initiatives. 

"We couldn't be more excited to have Tom join our team here at Sprout," said Wax.  "His extensive experience in kids' television and demonstrated success as a network marketer, strategist and leader make Tom a tremendous asset and brand champion for Sprout as we continue to grow."   

"Sprout is such a fantastic brand and I'm thrilled to be joining the network," said Alexander.  "I am excited to be given this opportunity that will allow me to continue my career in the kids' industry while applying creative and business building ideas across many different platforms."

Alexander comes to Sprout after serving 13 years at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta in various roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as vice president of marketing for Cartoon Network.  While there, he led the highly-acclaimed, award-winning Get Animated pro-social initiative and the strategic launch and brand marketing for the Boomerang Network.   

Prior to joining Turner Broadcasting, Alexander was an Account Supervisor at Frankel & Company in Chicago, IL where he created major entertainment and sports promotions for McDonald's, including tie-ins with the NFL, NBA, Universal Studios, and the Olympics, among others. 

Alexander currently volunteers as Marketing Committee Chairman and Board Member of Outward Bound Atlanta and also served as a Turner Women Today Circle Mentor Leader.  Throughout his career, he has received over 20 industry awards including the CTAM TAMI, four Gold Reggies, two Beacon Awards and Advertising Age's "Cable Marketer of the Year" award.

Alexander holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Miami University in Oxford, OH and is re-locating to the Philadelphia area with his wife Susan and three children: Wesley (age 10), Ethan (age 8) and Megan (age 5). 

About Sprout®
PBS KIDS Sprout, the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers, was created as a partnership among Comcast Corporation, HIT Entertainment, PBS and Sesame Workshop.  Since debuting its video on demand (VOD) service in April 2005, Sprout has become the #1 On Demand service for younger children, generating over 450 million orders.  The 24-hour digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along with the website (SproutOnline.com), is the only channel that follows the day of child from breakfast to bedtime with its distinctive programming.  Currently, Sprout is available in 42 million unique households.

The network's program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based children's shows includes:  Sesame Street®, Bob the Builder™, Barney & Friends™, Thomas & Friends™, Angelina Ballerina™, Caillou®, The Berenstain Bears™, Jay Jay the Jet Plane®, Teletubbies™, Dragon Tales™, Pingu™, Make Way For Noddy™, The Hoobs™, Fifi and the Flowertots™ and more.


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Press Contact:
Jenni Glenn   
PBS KIDS Sprout  
215-286-2703   
jenni_glenn@sproutonline.com