June 21, 2012
Cable industry veteran Monica Neal has been named senior vice president of public relations of TV One, effective Mon., June 25.
In this role, she’ll lead and manage all of TV One’s communications and public relations, public affairs, talent relations, viewer services and investor relations.
Neal joins TV One from Turner Broadcasting, where she has spent the past 12 years in a variety of senior communications, marketing, business development and operational executive positions. Since 2009, she has been vice president of entertainment marketing for TNT and TBS, where she has provided oversight of integrated marketing for late night series “Conan” and “Lopez Tonight” as well as partnerships designed to grow youth and diversity audiences, including for the launches of “Hawthorne” on TNT and “Meet the Browns” on TBS.
Prior to her current position, she served as vice president and station manager of WPCH-Peachtree TV as well as vice president of operations of Turner’s Strategy and New Products Group.
Neal has had a long and distinguished career in communications and media relations in the television industry. She joined Turner in 2000 as director of public relations and was promoted to vice president in 2002, with added responsibility for Turner Classic Movies in 2005. Prior to joining Turner, she held corporate communications and media relations positions at Court TV, Nickelodeon, ABC and HBO.
She began her career in television as a production associate at “Good Morning America” in 1990.
“Monica is the perfect choice for this new position at TV One, as we work to build our in-house corporate communications capability,” said TV One President and CEO Wonya Lucas. “In this rapidly evolving digital and social media environment, it is more important than ever for communications and marketing to work closely together. Her deep understanding of the cable business and experience in PR, marketing and operations will provide a unique perspective as we continue to build awareness of TV One’s programming and brand with consumers, advertisers and distributors.”
A graduate of Smith College, Neal has participated in Turner Broadcasting’s Leadership Development Program as well as the Time Warner Breakthrough Leadership/Simmons College Executive Management Program. She has been named to CableFAX Magazine’s list of the Most Influential Minorities in Cable, and in 2008 was named by Atlanta Woman Magazine to its list of “Top 25 Women to Watch.”
“I have long admired both Wonya and TV One, especially the network’s mission to portray the diversity of Black life in America,” said Neal. “It is an exciting opportunity to help build a brand about which I am personally passionate, and I look forward to sharing and sharpening the skills I have acquired in the wonderful years that I have spent at Turner and in the cable industry.”