Sony Adds Stringer to Top-Flight Exec List

Howard Stringer, formerly chairman and chief executive of Tele-TV, has been named president of Sony Corp. of America, which is based in New York.

Although Stringer assumes the title once held by Michael Schulhof, who was ousted in late 1995, the position is a shadow of the job. Stringer, who has been in discussions with Sony for months and whose appointment was expected, will not oversee the company’s movie, television or music operations, but will be responsible for strategic planning and coordination of various operations in the U.S.

Stringer will have direct charge of Sony Retail Entertainment and Sony Online Ventures.

Sony President Nobuyuki Idei, who was in New York for the announcement, is interested in tapping into Stringer’s expertise in the distribution of programming.

Unlike most of the major studios, Sony lacks major broadcast and cable outlets.

Tele-TV was formed by a consortium of regional phone companies to pave the way for their entry into the video delivery business. However, the venture never flourished, hobbled by technical difficulties and divergent agendas of the partners. Before joining Tele-TV, Stringer was president of CBS Broadcast Group.

Though industry analysts question Sony’s wisdom in adding yet another big-ticket executive to its management layers, Idei apparently believes Stringer can help Sony focus its strategy for the U.S.

Idei has said media companies that don’t make critical inroads into distribution in the United States in the next two years will pay for years to come.

Sony has been rocked by management turmoil for years, stemming in large part from overspending in its movie division that led to massive write-offs.