> SCTE*ISBE has appointed the following executives to committee chair roles: Layer3 TV co-founder Dave Fellows; Jim Hughes, VP of North American MSO sales for CommScope; Andy Parrott, senior VP of operations for Altice; and Dr. Martha Sohren, chief talent development officer for Comcast. Press release
> Viacom has cut about 100 jobs while at the same time shaking up the leadership at Nickelodeon, one of its core networks. FierceVideo article
> Disney’s media networks operating income during the first quarter was pulled down 12% to $1.2 billion due to sagging performances by Hulu, A+E and the broadcasting segment. FierceVideo article
> Sprint pushed SoftBank Group to an 11-fold improvement in profit for its fiscal third quarter, as the Japanese conglomerate unveiled plans for an IPO that will separate the company’s domestic telecom activities into a separate unit. FierceWireless article
> President Donald Trump has named Kenneth Johnson to be the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service Administrator, reflecting another move in his proposed rural broadband agenda. FierceTelecom article
> CenturyLink has activated a new fiber route linking the cities of Cali and Quito in Colombia and Ecuador, enhancing the depth of its Latin American reach garnered through its acquisition of Level 3 Communications. FierceTelecom article