Jo Ann Emmerich has been named vice president in charge of ABC-TV's Monday-through-Friday daytime programs, succeeding Jacqueline S. Smith, who last week resigned after nine years in that position.
Emmerich joined ABC in 1976 and had been the network's East Coast vice president for daytime programs since late 1979. Her promotion was announced Monday by Brandon Stoddard, ABC Entertainment president.
Smith, whose current three-year contract with ABC ends in March next year, said she will continue working with the network until then as a general program consultant.
In another announcement Monday, veteran ABC sales executive John B. Watkins was named as president, ABC Television Spot Sales, a new post. He will represent four of the eight TV stations owned and operated by Capital Cities/ABC, Inc.
The four stations, all owned by ABC before its Jan. 3 takeover by Capital Cities, are WABC-TV in New York; KABC-TV in Los Angeles; KGO-TV in San Francisco, and WLS-TV in Chicago.
Watkins succeeds Walter E. Flynn, who, according to the network, resigned last month as vice president of sales and marketing for ABC-owned television stations.
