• by Fern Siegel , July 13, 2010

Gannett Digital tapped Craig Etheridge as vice president of mobile advertising sales. He was most recently vice president of emerging platform sales at The Weather Channel, where he ran sales for its mobile unit.

According to Gracia Martore, Gannett's COO and CFO, there have been "over 5 million iPhone, iPad and Android app downloads for USA Today ... that leverages our tremendous scale in print and broadcast media."

The media company says its digital division reaches more than 49 million unique visitors with over 1.1 billion page views. Online Gannett properties include USAToday.com, Metromix.com, HighSchoolSports.net, MomsLikeMe.com, action sports networks BNQT and Venture There, as well as 105 hyperlocal news and information sites.

Etheridge will be expected to capitalize on the growing mobile ad universe, especially courting advertisers targeting younger demographics. Gannett's digital audience skews more male -- 54%, versus 46% female. Some 70% of users are between 25 and 54; 30% are Gen Yers.

At The Weather Channel, he helped launch TWC's iPad application. He also achieved growth in ad sales across key verticals, including travel, retail and finance.

Aside from his 15 years at TWC, where he was vice president of sales and directed digital ad strategy in various regions, he worked as regional director of Netscape-AOL Interactive Marketing.