TLN Media Group (TMG) has hired Laura Battiston in the newly created role of VP, business affairs. The role was created in order to focus on the needs and interests of viewers, business partners and community collaborators.

Battiston has held similar positions with a number of public and private media organizations, most recently as director of business affairs at Blue Ant Media. Prior to Blue Ant, she worked in senior leadership on the production side, with enterprises such as Sinking Ship Entertainment, Buck Productions and SFA Productions.

At TLN, she will report into SVP Agatha Pezzi and work alongside financial analyst Elena Abramova and production financing lead I-Chen Chao to manage the media group’s network of collaborators and creators.

Battiston will also be involved in realizing original content projects that are available to advertisers to associate with and integrate into. She is also part of the senior leadership, developing plans and approaches across the board – channels, digital media, live events and various joint ventures and alliances.

Past content ventures involving brands include the Eataly-sponsored Serie A Italian League soccer intermission show The Halftime Show, meat and cheese manufacturer Marcangelo-sponsored Lidia’s Kitchen and Serie A presenting sponsor Red Tag.

This month, it will also televise the TD Salsa in Toronto experience – a physical distance-friendly alternative to the city’s annual Salsa on St. Clair festival. It will be broadcast both on TLN’s TV network and on its online platform, with TD serving as the presenting sponsor of both.

TMG has evolved from the original single ethnic TV channel Telelatino that launched 35 years ago into TLN Media Group (TMG). Last year it also went back to its roots as a fully independent network when it purchased nearly $19 million of shares back from Corus, representing a 50.5% interest in the group.

This story originally appeared in Media in Canada