Television Bureau of Advertising Taps Steve Lanzano

NEW YORK: The Television Bureau of Advertising named Steve Lanzano as president, effective next Jan. 1. He will replace Christopher Rohrs, who’s led the agency for a decade and announced his intention to retire earlier this year.

Lanzano is a 28-year veteran of the advertising industry who most recently served as chief operating officer at MPG US, where he managed accounts for Volvo, ExxonMobil, Sears and CBS Films among others. Before MPG, Lanzano was with MediaEdge North America, where he rose to CEO, managing 500 employees handling accounts for AT&T, Colgate, Dr. Pepper/7Up, Kraft General Foods, Mattel, Showtime and Sony. He was also a founder of the company’s interactive unit, which combined online planning and buying.

Chris Rohrs announced his pending departure last March. Rohrs came to the agency after 20 year with Post-Newsweek TV stations. Among his accomplishments, he helped develop ePort, the TVB’s ePort online marketplace for buying and selling ad time. ePort surpassed orders of more than $300 million as of June, the TVB said. Media buyers using the system include Starcom MediaVest, Horizon, ITN, KSL and Southwest international. It’s funded by local broadcasters and made available free to their customers.
-- Deborah D. McAdams