CBS Interactive Exec Patrick Keane Out, Replaced by CNET Counterpart
by Peter Kafka
Posted on December 9, 2008 at 3:00 AM PT
We haven’t heard of much bloodletting since CBS (CBS) bought CNET for $1.8 billion this summer. But obviously there have to be some cuts as the companies continue to merge the network’s CBS Interactive unit with the Web publisher.
Here’s one: Patrick Keane, the former Google exec hired as executive vice president and chief marketing officer in February 2007, is out. In his place is Mickey Wilson, who was SVP of marketing at CNET.
CBS execs wouldn’t come out and say that Wilson has replaced Keane, and it’s not clear whether Keane is still a CBS employee or not. Keane’s LinkedIn profile still says he works at CBS, while his office voice mail says that he has “limited access to voice mail.” But it’s a matter of semantics–CBS employees say that Keane hasn’t been working there for weeks. Keane couldn’t be reached for comment.
Keane’s departure has been quiet, but prior to that he held a high-profile position at CBS: His Google (GOOG) pedigree helped boss Quincy Smith convince people that the network was serious about a digital strategy, and he frequently represented the company at conferences and the like.
