MTV News Taps Grantland’s Dan Fierman As Editorial Director

MTV has named veteran digital exec Dan Fierman VP and Editorial Director of MTV News. Fierman moves to MTV News from ESPN’s Grantland where he had served as Editorial Director at the literary sports and pop culture digital magazine since co-founding it in 2011. In his new role, Fierman will oversee editorial strategy and operations for MTV News, reporting to Colin Helms, Senior Vice President of Digital Media for MTV.

Since its relaunch in 2014, MTV News has grown to more than 40 million monthly unique visitors, up a monthly average of 97% year-over-year, according to MTV and web analytics company Omniture. Its contenct ranges from music and pop culture to politics and social issues.

Prior to Grantland, Fierman oversaw culture coverage and special packages at GQ. Fierman began his career at Entertainment Weekly as a writer.

Fierman’ departure from Grantland is apparently part of a larger exodus at the ESPN site. In a Tweet Friday, writer Andrew Miller said four other staffers have resigned to reunite with their former boss Bill Simmons at HBO.

“Dan is a top flight talent we’ve long admired for his ability to cut through and put something fresh, unique, and smart into the cultural conversation,” said Kristin Frank, Executive Vice President of Connected Content for Viacom Music & Entertainment Group. “We’ve driven tremendous growth since relaunching MTV News a year ago and, with Dan on board, we’re in a great position to sharpen our editorial point of view and connect with even more impact.”

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