COMPANY TOWN : Ex-MCA VP Named Disney Film Music Chief

Kathy Nelson has been named president of music, a new position at Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Nelson will be responsible for a new music division that will include all aspects of development and production of feature film music for Disney, Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures. Nelson had been a senior vice president at MCA and was responsible for the soundtrack for “Dangerous Minds,” which ranked No. 1 for four weeks and includes the worldwide No. 1 single “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio.

* Japhet Asher has been appointed executive vice president of programming and product development for TELE-TV Media.

* Howard D. Kurtzman has been named senior vice president of legal and business affairs for New World Television Programming, and Lorna Shepard has been named senior vice president for business affairs and administration of New World Animation.

* Cynthia E. Merifield has been named to the position of vice president of congressional affairs for the Motion Picture Assn. of America Inc.

* Columbia TriStar International Television has promoted Lawrence Smith to senior vice president of worldwide pay television, and Peter Iacono to vice president of international pay television.

* Andrew Given has been promoted to vice president of physical production for Universal Pictures.

* Hope J. Boonshaft has been named vice president of external affairs for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

* Henry A. Kaplan has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Philips Media Software.

* Susanna Golin has been named to the position of manager of exhibitor relations for Digital Theater Systems.