Bloomberg Names Leadership for Politics Vertical

By Merrill Knox 

BLOOMBERG-tv-LOGOBloomberg has announced two key appointments for its newly-created politics vertical: Tom Johnson has been named executive editor and Pat King has been appointed senior producer.

Johnson joins Bloomberg after 20 years at ABC News, where he was most recently senior broadcast producer of “World News with Diane Sawyer.” In a note to staff this morning, Bloomberg senior executive editor Josh Tyrangiel praised Johnson’s “spectacular mix of talent and temperament—his colleagues at ABC note that he’s usually the smartest guy in the room, and rarely feels the need to remind anyone of it.”

King comes to Bloomberg after nine years at “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” where he was most recently a segment producer. Tyrangiel — who noted “he’s not here to make the show funny” — called King “a passionate observer of national politics with a tremendous instinct for research.”

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In addition to overseeing the politics vertical, Johnson and King will serve as executive producer and senior producer, respectively, for the daily politics show with Mark Halperin and John Heilemann slated to launch in October.

Tyrangiel’s full note, and the note from”World News” executive producer Michael Corn, after the jump.

All,

Happy news about Bloomberg Politics. Tom Johnson is joining us as executive editor, and Pat King has joined us senior producer.

Tom has a mere twenty years experience at ABC News, where he was most recently senior broadcast producer at ABC World News with Diane Sawyer. In addition to imbuing the show with great story judgment, Tom led WN’s international coverage and digital strategy. During his tenure, ABC World News piled up awards and accolades, which is all very nice. More important is that Tom brings a spectacular mix of talent and temperament—his colleagues at ABC note that he’s usually the smartest guy in the room, and rarely feels the need to remind anyone of it.

Pat King comes to Bloomberg after a nine-year stint at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where he was most recently a segment producer. So to answer your question, yes, Pat is funny. However he’s not here to make the show funny. (Obviously that’s my job.) Pat’s a passionate observer of national politics with a tremendous instinct for research. He finds clips that lead to stories, and then he tells those stories expertly.

Tom starts ASAP. Pat recently completed orientation and is already hard at work. Both are based in New York.

I think you’re going to love working with them.

Josh

 

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Team,

I have some news to share with you.

After 20 years, “World News” Senior Broadcast Producer Tom Johnson is moving on from ABC News to become an executive editor at Bloomberg Media to launch a new cable and digital venture covering politics.

Tom started out at ABC in the tape warehouse and got his big break on the overnight assignment desk covering the crash of TWA Flight 800 and the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. He moved on to “World News” where he rose to become Peter Jennings’s producer, traveling the country producing Peter’s signature segments and breaking news.  He would later become the program’s first digital senior before moving on to work closely with Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas, Charlie Gibson and now Diane Sawyer on every conceivable news story.  Safe to say, the entire division has benefited from Tom’s instinct, creativity, good judgment and precision.

On a personal note-Tom is simply one of the most generous and kind people to ever inhabit the newsroom. I know I speak for all of us at ABC News when I say we are grateful to have worked with Tom these many years and wish him the best of luck in his new adventure.

Michael

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