Bui-Van quits opera comms role for MTV

He joins the broadcaster as UK and Ireland V-P of corporate comms on 30 May – his brief is to devise a comms strategy that integrates the multi-channel resources of owner Viacom.

Bui-Van will assume day-to-day responsibility for nine music channels, including MTV, VH1 and TMF. He will also advise on Viacom's comedy portfolio – comprising Paramount Comedy and Nickelodeon.

The plan is to ensure the music and comedy departments – which have tended to work independently – become more integrated in terms of the sharing of ideas, expertise and resources.

His remit will include corporate, trade and internal comms, working partly in the thriving sphere of spin-off products, such as those based on mobile technology.

This is a major growth sector for TV companies, owing to the changing nature of media consumption.

When he joins, Bui-Van will report to Michiel Bakker, MD of MTV Networks UK, Ireland and Nordic.

Bui-Van replaces Mel Fox, who joined Warner Music International as vice-president, corporate comms at the end of last month.

MTV uses Taylor Herring Communications for consumer work and Firefly Communications on a digital brief. Bui-Van said it was too early to decide whether he would review the roster.

Bui-Van joined the ENO at the end of 2004 to broaden the appeal of opera to a younger audience. Before that he was head of media
relations at the BBC.

He was also head of communications at Nickelodeon UK for four years, and has held roles at The Paramount Channel and agency Jackie Cooper PR.

The ENO is considering whether to recruit a replacement director of media and PR. In the meantime, the comms team will report to CEO
Loretta Tomasi.