Times Names Multimedia Editor

* The Los Angeles Times has named Joseph M. Russin assistant managing editor for multimedia. Russin will be responsible for establishing The Times’ new multimedia desk and overseeing the newspaper’s multimedia publishing operations and cross-promotional efforts. He also will manage content-sharing initiatives involving Latimes.com, Tribune-owned newspapers and television stations including KTLA 5 in Los Angeles, and other radio and television content partners. He will report to Dean Baquet, managing editor of The Times.

Russin has served as a producer and consultant on a wide range of media-related and news-planning projects. As a consultant to the U.S. Information Agency, he helped develop and train personnel to operate an independent television network--the Open Broadcast Network--in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also is a former senior producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series on the media, “Inside Story with Hodding Carter.”

* On Assignment Inc., a Calabasas-based temp agency for health and scientific concerns, said Volkmar G. Hable will join its senior management team as executive vice president, operations. He will be responsible for the growth and management of On Assignment’s field operations for all divisions. He previously was with Adecco.