MySpace Music’s long awaited leader has arrived. As expected, MTV Networks’ EVP Digital Music and Media Courtney Holt has taken the job, says the LA Times.
Until today Holt was EVP of Digital Music for the MTV Networks Music and Logo Group. Prior to joining MTV, Holt was SVP of New Media, Creative and Strategic Marketing at Interscope Geffen A&M.
This is the second MTV exec MySpace has hired in the last few months. Angela Courtin, previously MTV’s Vice President of Integrated Marketing, joined MySpace in July.
In an email to MTV staff today, President Van Toffler wrote:
I wanted to let you all know that Courtney Holt, our EVP of Digital Media for the Music & Logo Group, and owner of arguably the most extensive vinyl record collection at MTV Networks, will be moving on at the end of the year.
We’re sorry to see him go, and there’s been lots of buzz about his potential next moves, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his hard work, and determination, as well as his musical and technological prowess.
Courtney championed and drove through several important initiatives during his tenure here. He kick started the re-imagination of MTV.com when he first got here in 2006, paving the way for future innovation and growth of the site. He was instrumental in seeing through and launching our joint venture with Real Networks to create “Rhapsody America” and most recently, he and his team persevered to design and launch a beta version of mtvmusic.com, where we can finally showcase our incredible history of music video and exclusive content in one place. It’s sleek and simple to browse and is being met with rave reviews even though we haven’t even officially launched or turned our spotlight on it. Courtney has been a true champion of mtvmusic.com since day one and I am thankful to him for all his creativity on this and everything else he touched during the time he’s been with our company. We wish him the best.
In the meantime, Courtney and I are working on the transition plan and I will be communicating more details very soon. We truly have great momentum on all digital fronts including continued growth and innovation at each of our branded .coms with MTV.com, VH1.com, CMT.com and LOGOonline.com and killer success with our music video game Rock Band. We’ve only just begun to unlock our precious music vaults on mtvmusic.com, making us the pre-eminent place to not only see music videos, but a wealth of content that no one else has anywhere…more than 27 years worth. We also have more than 30 verticals and ancillary sites that connect to our on-air content and drive traffic online.
So look for more from our digital music space — there truly is so much opportunity for us. And again, a thank you to Courtney for serving us so well.