Ben Richardson has been welcomed home by Nickelodeon Australia after spending the past six years in Asia with Viacom International Media Networks.
Richardson replaces Katrina Southon as vice president and general manager of the kids entertainment business. Southon was promoted to senior vice president and manager director of Viacom International Media Networks Australia and New Zealand in February.
“Ben is someone who represents the perfect blend of creative expertise and business acumen,” Southon said in a statement.
In his new role, Richardson will be directly involved in the daily management of both of the company's 24-hour subscription-television networks: Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.
Richardson has performed various Viacom roles in India, Indonesia, Japan and Korea, most recently as vice president and general manager of MTV Korea, where he was directly involved in generating new revenue and ratings records for the network.
His creative involvement with the Nickelodeon brand in Indonesia saw the creation of the first Indonesian Nickolodeon’s Kids Choice Awards and the network’s first Islamic co-production Taman Ramadan.
Nickelodeon Australia was established in 1995 as a joint venture between Viacom International Media Networks and XYZnetworks, providing subscription television audiences with a 24-hour channel dedicated solely to children’s entertainment. In 2002, the network expanded with the formation of Nick Jr., a subsidiary channel aimed at Australian pre-school audiences.