MTV UK chief to rebrand Channel 5

Kerry Taylor

MTV UK general manager Kerry Taylor has been given a new role within Viacom and tasked with rebranding Channel 5, the UK free-TV broadcaster the US media giant acquired last year.

Taylor has taken the newly-created role of chief marketing officer of Viacom’s UK operations, which span Channel 5 and pay TV channels including MTV and Nickelodeon.

Her immediate brief, Viacom said, will be to oversee a creative rebranding of Channel 5 during the course of 2015.

Viacom International Media Networks has also given MTV UK marketing VP, Jo Bacon, additional responsibility covering the Channel 5 rebrand, which will be managed by media agency Joint.

The rebrand will be complete by end-2015.

Taylor reports to David Lynn, president of VIMN UK, Australia and Central and Eastern Europe, said: “Kerry is Viacom’s outstanding UK-based marketer and her and Jo’s appointment to oversee the rebrand of Channel 5 demonstrates how we’re combining the best talent and assets of both businesses.

“Their task will be to capture changing perceptions about the brand amongst lighter viewers as Channel 5 continues to improve programme range and quality and its ratings performance under Ben’s direction.”

Her immediate focus will be the UK, but she will also have responsibility for marketing across VIMN’s global pay TV brands – Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Channel, Spike and BET.