• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, January 5, 2006

MTV Networks, the primary growth engine for the new Viacom, has undergone an executive shake-up. Herb Scannell, MTVN vice chairman and Nickelodeon Networks president, has exited the company, and his duties will be split among two veteran executives.

Nickelodeon Television President Cyma Zarghami takes over a newly formed MTVN Kids and Family Group, which encompasses all businesses under the Nickelodeon banner--including television, online, games and print. Zarghami is a 20-year Nickelodeon veteran.

Another experienced MTVN executive, Doug Herzog, will head up the TV Land network, which Scannell oversaw. Herzog continues to add to his portfolio, picking up leadership of a second network in the last 11 months. He now heads Comedy Central, Spike TV, and TV Land.

TV Land, originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite that has increasingly added original programming and forged its own identity, will now operate separately from the Nickelodeon group. However, TV Land President Larry Jones will continue to head up both the network and Nick at Nite and report to both Zarghami and Herzog.

In February, Herzog took over as president of Spike TV, a network targeting men which Scannell had re-branded from TNN. Herzog became head of Comedy Central in 2004 when he rejoined MTVN (he previously led Comedy Central from 1995 to 1998) after stints at Fox and USA Network.

Spike saw a 20 percent jump in prime-time adult 18-34 ratings in 2005, while Comedy Central dropped 3 percent. TV Land ratings rose 11 percent.

On Tuesday, Viacom and CBS split into separate companies with the new Viacom, including MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures.