• by Wayne Friedman , March 20, 2012

Amid lackluster advertising sales results, New York-area cable, telco and phone company Cablevision Systems Corp is changing its most senior advertising sales executive.

The Bethpage, N.Y.-based cable operator announced that Gregory McCastle would become president of Cablevision Media Sales. David Kline, who most recently led Cablevision Media Sales, is stepping down.

McCastle is a veteran at AT&T, where he served as senior vice president of AT&T Services Inc. and a member team of the AT&T Advertising Solutions organization. 

He will be responsible for local cable and advance advertising sales, as well as heading up ad sales operations for Cablevision’s local media properties, including cable network News 12 Networks and newspaper unit, Newsday Media Group, and the regional cable ad sales division, New York Interconnect. 

McCastle will report to Tad Smith, president of Cablevision's Local Media group.

Last month, Cablevision said local advertising revenues were $41 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. That’s the same number as in the fourth quarter of 2010. Quarterly results for the final period in 2011 did climb $5 million from the end of the third quarter 2011. Results of weak advertising revenues at its newspaper Newsday pulled down overall numbers.

Kline had been with Cablevision for 15 years, and Smith credits him with being a pioneer when it comes to advanced advertising solutions, including addressable and interactive television advertising, as well as dedicated brand-specific channels.  

Before AT&T, McCastle had held senior executive positions at Westwood One, The Weather Channel, Sony International and News Corp's News Digital Media and Fox Sports Net businesses.