Cable Vet Gavin Harvey Joins Fuse

After a year-long hiatus, former Versus/OLN president Gavin Harvey has resurfaced in the cable network space, joining Cablevision’s music network Fuse as executive vp and general manager.Harvey left Versus last summer, when the New York-based sports channel completed its relocation to Philadelphia. He was replaced by Jamie Davis, who was named president of the Comcast network in April 2008.In his four years at the helm of Versus, Harvey was an agent of significant change, transforming what was once known as Outdoor Life Network from a field-and-stream channel to a competitive sports-oriented service. (After a brief incarnation as OLN, the net was renamed Versus in September 2006). Most significantly, Harvey was instrumental in brokering Comcast’s three-year, $200 million acquisition of the rights to carry NHL games, a deal the net has since renewed through 2011.At about the same time Harvey said his farewells to the Versus team, Fuse chief Jen Caserta was making moves of her own, jumping to corporate cousin IFC, where she assumed the role of executive vp and general manager. Harvey now fills Caserta’s former post, which has lain dormant since last June.In his new role, Harvey will manage all day-to-day operations for Fuse, including: ad sales, programming, business strategy and marketing. He will also be responsible for shaping the overall music strategy for Fuse by working closely with Madison Square Garden Entertainment. “I am really excited to be joining Fuse and Madison Square Garden and believe that the network offers tremendous opportunities to utilize my television experience and interest in music,” said Harvey. “I look forward to working to position Fuse as a must-watch channel for music fans.”Prior to his stint with Comcast, Harvey served as executive vp and marketing & brand director at E! Networks. He also has held executive positions at In Demand and FX Networks. Fuse moved from under Cablevision's Rainbow Media umbrella to its Madison Square Garden unit back in 2007, a shift that positioned the music net for greater growth and gave it entrée into the big-ticket concert events that are the Garden’s stock in trade. The channel reaches over 65 million households, targeting the 12-34 and 18-34 demos.On July 30, Cablevision announced that its board of directors had signed off on a plan to spin off its Madison Square Garden business, which includes the eponymous arena, the New York Knicks and Rangers sports franchises and the cable nets (Fuse and MSG).At the time, Cablevision stressed that it was not interested in selling the MSG unit. Rather, the split would “create two distinct companies, each with enhanced strategic flexibility,” said Cablevision president and CEO James Dolan.

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Cable Vet Gavin Harvey Joins Fuse

Anthony Crupi

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Anthony Crupi