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MTV Networks appoints Larry Divney as ad sales president
MUMBAI: MTV Networks chairman and CEO Judy McGrath announced several changes to the MTV Networks ad sales organisation. McGrath has named Larry Divney to the position of president, MTV Networks ad sales.
Additionally, Doug Rohrer has been named executive vice president and senior advisor to Divney focusing on a variety of areas including emerging new media platforms. Sue Danaher will continue in her current role and will also report directly to Divney.
In his new role, Divney will be responsible for managing the entire sales organisation and its systems for all the company’s cable television networks and online businesses, including MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, TV Land, CMT, Spike TV and LOGO. In addition, Divney will help to craft new sales strategies and ad sales systems for the company’s many successful brands and businesses.
“Larry had the shortest retirement in our company history and now has the fastest promotion track,” said McGrath. “Larry is perhaps the single most experienced and gifted manager in the cable television business. His leadership and sales strategy genius will enable MTVN ad sales to deliver at a whole new level. I’m really looking forward to working with him and so glad he has decided to take on this new role.”
The appointment marks a homecoming for Divney, who was MTV’s first vice president of ad sales, starting in 1981. After his initial stint at MTV, Divney worked at a number of seminal cable television operations, including Cable Health Network (now Lifetime) as the vice president of market development and sales, and at CNN as vice president and national sales manager for CNN and CNN Headline News, followed by four years as vice president national sales manager of A&E.
Most notably, Divney was part of the founding leadership team of Comedy Central when it launched in 1991 and played a huge part in making the network the most successful comedy brand on television. Divney was appointed CEO of Comedy Central in 1999.
Rohrer, on the other hand, will be responsible for helping to create strategies for ad sales on the many new digital platforms being developed by MTV Networks and for guiding future sales initiatives.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
