• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, August 1, 2008

A week after receiving two high-profile Emmy nominations, Sony has signed Steve Mosko to a new long-term contract as president of its TV production arm. The deal runs through 2012, meaning that he will have been on the job 12 years if he completes his tenure.

Sony Pictures Television series "Damages," carried on FX, was nominated for a best-drama Emmy, while Bryan Cranston in AMC's "Breaking Bad" is up for best lead actor in a drama.

SPT may have also lost out on nominations, since its FX drama "The Shield" was postponed until this fall due to the writers' strike. The studio also produces FX drama "Rescue Me" and TBS comedy "My Boys."

As a result, it's at the forefront of basic cable's aggressive investment into developing original programming.

SPT also produces long-time syndicated stalwarts "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" and will work with Oprah Winfrey's production company to launch a new series with Dr. Mehmet Oz.

The company continues as a TV studio unaffiliated with a network, providing an added challenge in finding networks to offer its content. Perhaps as a result, it has been aggressive in launching online distribution platforms, including Crackle.com (formerly Grouper) and an involvement with FEARnet (with a notable VOD presence).

Mosko has been with SPT for 16 years, starting as a regional vice president for its distribution arm, then known as Columbia TriStar Television Distribution.

Before joining SPT, he ran a Philadelphia local station and was general sales manager at another in the market.