• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, March 1, 2007

Another sign that CBS is serious about becoming a digital media powerhouse: It nabbed Patrick Keane, Google's head of ad sales strategy. Now, Keane has a new title--executive vice president and CMO of CBS Interactive. His mission: market and sell CBS content over emerging platforms and expand the company's ad roster.

"Aside from the people, what attracted me to CBS were its assets," says Keane, who spent more than four years at Google developing advertiser relationships. He depicts Google and CBS as friends rather than foes. "Great content assets make CBS, and it only makes sense to work as closely as possible with leading distributors like Google."

At CBS, Keane's primary focus will be to help the company monetize new inventory generated by next-generation platforms. In addition to working on sales strategy, he will manage CBS Interactive's efforts in online research, reporting and analytics, as well as competitive research, sales training and search engine optimization.

CBS Interactive includes CBS SportsLine.com, CBSNews.com and CBS.com, as well as innertube, CBS' home for original and established programming. The division is also charged with working with the company's financial team to identify new businesses to complement the net's core assets. Earlier this month, CBS launched CBS Mobile as a new division within CBS Interactive.

Of great importance to CBS, Keane brings a technical understanding of online distribution to the company, according to JoAnn Ross, president of CBS Network Sales. "He brings a sophisticated understanding of online distribution and technology which, when married with our content, will better enable us to leverage our offerings and build upon our client base," she said.

Under the guidance of CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, Quincy Smith--recently appointed head of CBS Interactive--has been assembling a stable of digital executives. Late last year, CBS Interactive brought on former Yahoo executive Michael Marquez as its vice president of strategy and corporate development.

Last November, Smith replaced Larry Kramer as president of CBS' interactive operations. Smith, a Silicon Valley insider who most recently worked for Allen & Co., is heading the newly formed CBS Interactive, which encompasses all initiatives and partnerships involving the Web, mobile and video gaming. (Kramer is still attached to CBS in an advisory role.)

What does Keane make of last week's report from Adams Media Research, which predicts annual consumer spending on downloads of movies and TV shows will far exceed spending on video advertising by 2011? (According to Adams Media Research, annual spending on paid downloads will top $4 billion in 2011--up from just $111 million last year--while ad spending on Internet video streams to PCs and TVs will approach a mere $1.7 billion, from $409 million last year.)

"I personally don't agree with that," said Keane. "The attention marketers are devoting to online is still insufficient, and that has got to change. But I firmly believe online advertising will drive this industry in the future."

As with Keane's move from Google to CBS, recent executive shifts clearly illustrate the blurring divide between old and new media. Last November, Time Warner replaced Jonathan Miller as head of AOL with Randy Falco, who had been NBC Universal Television Group president and chief operating officer.

Prior to Google, Keane was vice president and senior analyst at Jupiter Research, where he contributed to all facets of their marketing and media research, as well as the company's conference division and business development. As head of Jupiter's online advertising service, Keane led research on the buying and selling of interactive media.