John Sykes (American businessman)
| John Sykes | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
May 14, 1955 Schenectady, NY, USA |
| Nationality | USA |
| Occupation | American businessman |
| Known for | MTV and VH1 |
John Leo Sykes (born May 14, 1955) is an American entertainment executive and a co-founder of MTV and VH1 Cable Networks. In November 2011 he was named President, Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia. Sykes has also been President at VH1, President - North America at Chrysalis Records, Executive Vice President of Artist Acquisitions at EMI Music Publishing, Chairman and CEO at Infinity Broadcasting Corporation (now CBS Radio) and President of New Network Development at MTV Networks (now Viacom Media Networks).
Sykes was raised in Schenectady, New York, and is the son of a retail executive and a college professor. After graduating from Linton High school he attended the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where he received a BS in Communications in 1977. Upon graduation, he was hired by CBS Records (now Sony Music Entertainment) as a promotion and artist relations manager.
John Sykes’ successful career in media began in October 1980 when he was hired by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment Company (WASEC) as part of a development team creating the first-ever 24/7 cable music channel.
In August 1981, WASEC’s cable music channel was launched under the name MTV: Music Television, led by Robert W. Pittman. Sykes’ first position was Director of Promotion and Artist Relations, in which he was responsible for creating MTV’s well-known, larger-than-life fantasy on-air promotions, including MTV’s "One Night Stand” with bands like The Rolling Stones and Journey, John Mellencamp’s “Pink House” giveaway and MTV's “Lost Weekend with Van Halen.” These promotions helped to create and shape the MTV brand image, drawing millions of entries. Sykes also worked with artists, managers and labels to bring content and partnerships to the video channel.
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