Company Town : Channel 4’s News Director Hoffman Quits

KNBC Channel 4 News Director Mark Hoffman is leaving the station due to disagreements with management, officials said Monday. No replacement has been named. Hoffman’s resignation is effective immediately.

Carole Black, KNBC president and general manager, said in a statement, “Mark and I have talked over the last few weeks about our differences in philosophy and management style, and we’ve come to a mutual agreement that Mark will no longer serve as vice president of news.”

Though Black praised Hoffman’s leadership and accomplishments, the newsroom has been been clouded during the last year by internal conflict and controversy.

* PolyGram has named Mark Meyer as senior vice president of strategic planning and business development.

* EMI Records Group has named Susan Geisenheimer senior vice president of human resources.

* Kurt C. Hall, chief financial officer of United Artists Theatre Circuit, was named a director of Showscan Entertainment.

* Karin Silverstein was named vice president of talent and creative development for VH1.

* Linda Palmer will head the literary division at Warren Cowan & Associates public relations agency.

* Warner Bros. has tapped retailing executive George Jones to be president of the studio’s worldwide licensing. Jones will coordinate the licensing programs for the third Batman installment, “Batman Forever,” and “Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs.”

* Warner Bros. Television has named Katherine Young as manager of labor relations.

* Diana Loomis was named vice president of East Coast publicity for Buena Vista Pictures Marketing.

* Barry Stagg is the new vice president of publicity for Saban Entertainment.

* Sony Pictures Entertainment has named Lisa Lochanko senior vice president of corporate communications.