New MCA Division Gets Chief

Former senior advertising executive Richard Costello was named president of MCA’s newly created Universal Strategic Marketing Group.

Costello, who reports to MCA Executive Vice President Sandy Climan, had been president of TBWA Chiat/Day East, which is part of ad agency TBWA. Among the things Costello will concentrate on is developing and marketing characters created through MCA movies and TV shows.

* Kim Hatamiya was named senior vice president of Fox Children’s Networks International.

* Linda Govreau was promoted to senior vice president of finance and administration at Jim Henson Productions.

* Lou LaTorre has been appointed president and chief operating officer of New World Sales & Marketing, part of New World Communications Group.

* Danny Bramson has been named senior vice president of soundtrack development at Warner Bros. Records.

* Suzanne Lewinter has been promoted to vice president of operations and business administration for Big Beat and Tag Recordings, divisions of Time Warner’s Atlantic Group.

* Steve Shaw has been promoted to senior vice president of human resources for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Timothy Campbell has been named vice president of participations and residuals.

* Seth Lichtenstein and Jonathan Haft have joined the Beverly Hills entertainment law firm of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller & Hoberman.

* Leslie E. Frank and Gregory A. Thompson have joined the entertainment law firm of King, Purtich, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner.

* Doug Major has been promoted to vice president of music video production at MCA Records.

* Mark Williams has been appointed vice president of international at PolyGram Holdings. David Daugherty has been named senior vice president of business and legal affairs at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. Andrew Rauhauser has been named international director of new-media group information and technology at PolyGram International.

* At Arista Records, Cecille Pagarigan has been named mainstream marketing manager, Jim Powers has been promoted to promotional product manager and Deborah Gilbert has been named alternative marketing manager. Stacy Carr has been named associate director of publicity.

* Drew Dixon has been appointed to senior director of artists and repertoire at Arista Records’ rhythm and blues division.

* Jim Elliott has been named manager of advertising and merchandising production at Capitol Records. Tommy Daley was named national director of rock promotion.