People

Buffalo Niagra

Fred Bristol was named vice president, sales and marketing at the Buffalo Niagra Partnership. He is a former VP, marketing at Cox Communications Inc. and a former director of sales and marketing at Adelphia Communications Corp.

CNN

CNN en Español has

Comcast

Comcast Cable Communications Inc. has elevated Debra Thacker to area vice president, cable systems in Philadelphia, Willow Grove and Lower Merion, Pa. She had been area VP, Montgomery and Bucks counties, Pa.

Also, Andy Dix was elevated to director, sales for Comcast Spotlight in Fort Wayne and South Bend, Ind. He had been local sales manager in Fort Wayne.

At Comcast’s Philadelphia corporate headquarters, Greg Pucci was elevated to senior vice president, information services from VP and Bill Smart was upped to senior vice president, purchasing from VP.

Cox

Cox Communications Inc. has elevatedAmy Cohn to executive director, public affairs. She had served as director.

Lifetime

Lifetime Television has elevated Jenny Alonzo to senior vice president of production, promotion planning and multicultural strategies. Alonzo, who serves on a number of industry boards and is president of the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications, had been VP, production and operations in Lifetime’s marketing division.

Lippin

Jonathan Taylor has joined public-relations firm The Lippin Group as senior vice president. He was television, home entertainment and radio editor of the Los Angeles Times.

Media Distributors

Recording, storage and data media supplier Media Distributors has added Erica Villafane as film associate. She had been co-owner of film-stock sales company Shortenz.

NESN

New England Sports Network has added Hazel Mae as anchor of its new nightly series SportsDesk . She comes from Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, where she anchored Sportsnetnews .

RCH

RCH Cable Outsourcing Services has elevated Dan Hynds to regional sales manager. He was project manager.

Sony

Sony Pictures Television International has upped Ross Pollack to senior vice president, distribution, Asia. He had been senior VP, business development, Asia.

Turner Media

Turner Media Group has added Patrick Ivers as president, Turner Ad Group. He is a cable-industry veteran of Comcast Corp.