Severino, TV Veteran, Named Avtex Interactive Chief

Television veteran John C. Severino has been named president of Avtex Interactive Media, where he will oversee the Campbell, Calif.-based company’s move into interactive entertainment in such areas as CD-ROM publishing and interactive cable television.

Severino headed the Prime Ticket Network sports cable company from 1988 to 1992. Before that, he was president of ABC Television and also served as president and general manager of KABC-TV, Channel 7.

Avtek was founded in 1985 by Mark Bunzel, who remains chief executive and creative director. The company grew as a consultant in the multimedia business for such clients as IBM, Microsoft and Apple Computer.

Trevor Fetter, an executive vice president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., has been given the additional title of chief financial officer of the Santa Monica-based studio.

Janice Sirkin was promoted to director of development for Carolco Pictures.

Polish-born actress Beata Pozniak has been named chair of Women in Film International.

At Rhino Records, Eric Kayser has been named national manager of promotion, and Jennifer Sperandeo has been named promotion coordinator.

Javier R. Avitia has joined Univision Television Group as senior legal counsel.

Tracey Dood is the executive director of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

ITC Entertainment has named Matt Cooperstein a vice president for domestic television.

Theresa Edy is the new vice president of series development at Twentieth Television Network’s TV division.

Andy Goodman is the new president of the Environmental Media Assn., replacing Andy Spahn, who has become president of the David Geffen Foundation.