Former TV exec to take charge at MobiTV

MobiTV Inc. has named Charlie Nooney its next CEO. Nooney will succeed Phillip Alvelda, who helped found the company in Northern California and develop it into one of the early pioneers in mobile television.
Nooney will take the reins Oct. 15.
Nooney’s resume reads like a list of channels you’d find on your cable TV box at home. He previously served as president of Technicolor Network Services, a global consultancy focused on the preparation, management and distribution of content. Before that, he worked with BBC Worldwide, Canal+, The Walt Disney Company, ITV and Disney/ABC Cable Networks.
Nooney said he’s always been attracted to innovative companies, and that was one of the factors that pushed him to join MobiTV.
“I’ve been intrigued by this space for quite a while,” he said. “It just seemed like this was a culmination of those past experiences and that’s what really excited me.”
He admits that there likely will be a steep learning curve when he gets started in a couple weeks, but out of the gates he’s already determined to make the MobiTV platform a reliable, easy-to-use, positive experience for consumers. He plans to build on his background in customer experience, as well as developing relationships with programming partners.
“Fundamentally what we’re looking for is a seasoned sort of C-level executive,” Co-founder and President Paul Scanlan said. “We looked at a lot of candidates. We had a pretty good group of people to choose from. It was pretty much unanimous when we met Charlie.”
Scanlan added that it is rare to find someone with a solid background in technology and entertainment like Nooney.
“One of the things that I really liked about him as well, and the board too, is he understands how to sell and build relationships with big partners,” he said.
“He’s pretty down to earth, easygoing, but driven and smart,” Scanlan said. “I’m really excited and looking forward to working with Charlie.”
Privately held MobiTV late last year closed its third funding round, raising a staggering $100 million. Shortly after the announcement, the company said it reached a customer base of 2 million paying subscribers.