ABC Family announced today that a veteran television and magazine executive has been named the cable channel’s new president. The position goes to Tom Ascheim, who has been executive vice president and general manager of Nickelodeon Television and CEO of Newsweek.

Ascheim takes on his new post effective immediately.

Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks, and president, Disney/ABC Television Group, to whom Ascheim will report, made the announcement.

Said Sweeney: “I knew Tom during my time at Nickelodeon, and always thought he was an incredibly smart, strategic executive. Since then, he has only reinforced my opinion of his abilities. Whether in print, television, or the financial sector, Tom has gone from success to success. He has a proven capability of leading creative teams, and I’m thrilled that he’ll now bring his innovative, entrepreneurial spirit to bear on behalf of ABC Family and the Disney/ABC Television Group.”

Ascheim began his career assisting an independent film producer at Geoffrey Drummond Productions and became a financial analyst at Silver Screen Management before joining Viacom in 1990, the announcement notes.

Ascheim added this comment in the announcement: “I had the pleasure of working with Anne at the beginning of my career, so when she offered me the opportunity to join the enormously talented team at ABC Family, I jumped at the chance. While ABC Family has accomplished so much already, I’m very confident that we have only just begun to tap its full potential.”

Tom Ascheim