KABC-TV Appoints Top Exec

Arnold J. Kleiner, former president of KFMB-TV in San Diego, has been named president and general manager of KABC-TV Channel 7 in Los Angeles. The Capital Cities/ABC-owned station had been without a chief since Alan Nesbitt left in November to take a position with the parent company. Kleiner’s appointment will be effective Feb. 5.

* Prominent film lawyer Michael Gendler, whose clients include Meryl Streep and Steve Martin, is about to join the music law firm of Codikow & Carroll, which represents such pop stars as Courtney Love, Natalie Merchant and Ministry. The firm, which has offices in Los Angeles and New York, will change its name in February to Gendler, Codikow & Carroll.

* Elizabeth Manne has been promoted to executive vice president of marketing at Fine Line Features.

* Geoff Calnan has been promoted to executive vice president of advertising and on-air promotion at Fox Broadcasting Co.

* David Mumford has been promoted to executive vice president of planning and operations at Columbia TriStar Television Distribution.

* Kenneth Ostrow has been named vice president and general counsel at New World Entertainment.

* Steven Papazian has been named executive vice president of worldwide feature production and Juliana Olinka has been named vice president of international publicity at Warner Bros.

* Home Box Office has promoted Mary Baumgartner Jones to director of category management at HBO’s marketing department.

* Denys Cowan has been named senior vice president and editor in chief at Motown Animation.

* Rap artist and producer Heavy D has been appointed president of Uptown Records, a label of the MCA Music Entertainment Group.

* Michele P. Schultz has been promoted to vice president of legal affairs at Columbia Pictures.

* Scott Koondel has been promoted to vice president and Eastern regional manager for off-network television sales at Paramount Domestic Television.

* Stacey Gallishaw has been promoted to vice president and head of animation production at DIC Entertainment.

* Cinamerica Theatres has promoted Alan Devy to executive director of film and Rich Given to executive director of marketing and publicity.

* Activision has moved its licensing division to Los Angeles and has named Eric A. Dandridge director.

* Shelly Bunge has been promoted to senior vice president of business affairs at Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Music Group.