Twentieth Television has promoted Joanne Burns to the newly created position of executive VP of sales marketing, research and new media, effective immediately. The announcement was made Wednesday by Bob Cook, Twentieth Television’s president and chief operating officer.

Ms. Burns will oversee all first-run and off-net program research activities, be involved in the development and creation of program sales marketing initiatives and identify new media opportunities for Twentieth. Ms. Burns, who joined Twentieth Television in 2000, will continue to report to Cook in Los Angeles.

Before joining Twentieth Television, she served as VP of research and new media at Eyemark Entertainment (now King World Productions) in Los Angeles, where she also worked closely with Mr. Cook. While there, she established the company’s research department to support syndication, cable, licensing and international program sales.

Before working for Eyemark, Ms. Burns was senior VP of Nielsen Media Research’s syndication research arm, NSS. She began her career in program sales and research at Westinghouse/Group W Television in New York.