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ViacomCBS taps former IBM exec to lead media, streaming initiatives

Former IBM executive Babs Rangaiah. (Photo: LinkedIn/Graphic: The Desk)

ViacomCBS has tapped a former IBM executive to lead its media initiatives at the company, including one that will combine several content libraries into a blockbuster streaming service in the future.

In a note posted to LinkedIn over the weekend, former IBM global marketing executive Babs Rangaiah said he’s accepted the role of senior vice president for media at ViacomCBS.



That role will involve various initiatives, including one that involves relaunching CBS All Access into a powerhouse streaming service that combines movies and TV shows from across various ViacomCBS-operated brands.

“For me, the ‘streaming wars’ will be the most-exciting disruption in media over the next five years, and I’ll be fortunate enough to be at the center of it,” Rangaiah wrote.



Rangaiah said he and his family will relocate to Los Angeles once restrictions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic ease.

At IBM, Rangaiah served as an executive partner for iX, a consortium with Adobe that offered customer experience consulting services to other businesses. His last day at IBM was Friday and his first day at ViacomCBS was today, according to his LinkedIn note.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is a nationally-recognized, award-winning journalist who has covered the business of media, technology, radio and television for more than 11 years. He is the publisher of The Desk and contributes to Know Techie, Digital Content Next and StreamTV Insider. He previously worked for Thomson Reuters, the Walt Disney Company, McNaughton Newspapers and Tribune Broadcasting.
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