Sundance Shuffles Exec Roster, Cuts Jobs

By Jon Lafayette

Sundance Channel, acquired by Cablevision’s Rainbow Media unit in June, reset senior management and laid off about a dozen employees, or about 10% of the staff.

The most senior executive leaving Sundance is Kirk Iwanowski, who was executive VP of marketing, sponsorship and branded entertainment, said a source familiar with the situation.
The other layoffs came in departments such as legal and business affairs, where Rainbow already has people doing similar work, the source said.

A Rainbow spokeswoman declined to comment on personnel matters.

Mr. Iwanowski’s bundled duties will be assumed by former Sundance executives who have been promoted: Sarah Barnett, now senior VP for marketing and creative, and Kim Gablemann, senior VP for sales and branded entertainment.

Most of the rest of Sundance’s senior management team remains intact, with Christopher Barry promoted to senior VP for digital media and business strategy, and Lynne Kirby to senior VP for original programming and development.

Earlier, Rainbow announced that former Sundance President and CEO Larry Aidem was shifted to a new position as president of Rainbow Ventures and that Laura Michalchyshyn was named executive VP and general manager of Sundance, reporting to Evan Shapiro, president of Rainbow’s IFCtv, who added oversight of Sundance Channel to his duties.

“This new team will be the engine that fuels an exciting growth strategy for both networks,” Mr. Shapiro said in a statement. “We are dedicated to preserving the powerful Sundance Channel culture and positioning the network for long-term growth.”