Former Cooking Channel exec to run Electus’ YouTube venture

January 30, 2012 by Kelly Anderson

Bruce, former senior VP of programming for Cooking Channel, has been named CEO of Electus’ new food-centric YouTube channel.

Seidel took up his role on January 23 and is responsible for running the channel, including all creative, programming, scheduling, production and marketing of the as-yet-unnamed outlet. He will report to Electus COO and head of digital Drew Buckley.

Seidel brings with him more than 15 years experience of creating and scheduling programming for television networks such as Food Network, Cooking Channel and Animal Planet, and will be applying his food content skills to the Web.

Slated to officially launch in July, the YouTube channel is being created in partnership with Creative Artists Agency. The food-centric channel will combine Seidel’s expertise on food programming with the online and mobile audience and bandwidth of mobile app and website Urbanspoon.

Ben Silverman, chairman and founder of Electus, said: “Bruce Seidel’s life-long talent and passion for food, cooking and entertainment, combined with his outstanding work rebranding the Food Network and launching Cooking Channel, both online and offline, was a driving force behind our decision to ask him to lead this charge.

“Bruce is uniquely qualified to build and popularize our slate of food programming in a way that hasn’t been done on the Web.”

Robert Kyncl, global head of content for YouTube, added: “Great talent moves like this exemplify the relentless commitment by our partners and the overall velocity of the online video space. We look forward to collaborating with Bruce and the entire Electus team in the months ahead.”

Tags: Bruce Seidel, Cooking Channel, Electus, YouTube