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‘Last of the Old Guard’ Exits Viacom

Jun 4, 2018  •  Post A Comment

The executive shakeout at Viacom appears to be nearly complete, with the company today announcing the departure of Nickelodeon Group President Cyma Zarghami. The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed reports that Viacom Media Networks COO Sarah Levy will take over on an interim basis until the company can settle on a full-time replacement.

Zarghami, described by THR as “the last of the old guard” at Viacom, has been with the company for more than 30 years.

In a statement, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish said: “Over the course of her career, Cyma has played an integral role in growing Nickelodeon into the dominant force in kids’ entertainment. Her instincts for creating content and experiences that kids love have been vital to the brand’s success around the world. Looking to the future, we are excited to build on this strong foundation as we continue to evolve the business and connect with young audiences in new and innovative ways. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Cyma for her leadership and wish her every success.”

THR adds: “News of Zarghami’s departure should come as little surprise. In February, Viacom expanded Levy’s role as she added oversight of Nickelodeon (and BET) to a purview that already included operations and strategy for MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Spike/Paramount Network, CMT, TV Land, Logo and Viacom International Media Networks. That meant there was an additional executive overseeing Nickelodeon alongside Zarghami, who had been head of the kids-focused cable network since 2006.”

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