EXCLUSIVE: The future of TikTok is still somewhat uncertain, but who will be helping to hone the social media platform’s message has become a lot clearer today.
Just over a year after exiting Warner Bros Discovery, Nathaniel Brown has joined TikTok, as Chief Brand and Communications Officer, Zenia Mucha revealed to staffers this morning.
Earlier Monday, Bob Iger’s ex-right hand told TikTok employees around the world that: “I’m happy to announce we’ve hired a new Global Head of Corporate Comms. @Nathaniel Brown joins us today to lead this important function, reporting to me. He’s based in New York City. Nathaniel comes from Warner Bros. Discovery where he most recently served as Chief Communications Officer.”
By David Zaslav‘s side for almost five years and ending that union as WBD’s Corporate Communications leader and company spokesman, ‘Brown joined Discovery in 2019. Before that he was SVP Corporate Affairs for 21st Century Fox and its predecessor News Corp for seven years. Earlier in the respected Brown’s career, there were stints at MTV, XM Satellite Radio and Sony BMG Music.
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Once again available in the Google and Apple app stores after a short absence, TikTok received an extension from Donald Trump early in his latest administration.
In his previous time in the White House, the former Celebrity Apprentice host was a big critic of the ByteDance-owned platform. Trump sought to have TikTok banned for security and privacy risk the Chinese internet technology company posed for its millions of American users. That all changed as Joe Biden’s administration got Congress to pass a bill bringing back Trump’s ban on TikTok unless its ownership was altered. Signed into law by Biden on April 25, 2004, the ban went into effect on January 18 this year and the app went dark Stateside. However, having been a big presence on TikTok during his successful 2024 race for the presidency and being against anything Biden was for, Trump flipped the script and gave the Shou Zi Chew-led platform until April 5.
A number of suiters have emerged, with Oracle and its Trump pal boss Larry Ellison appeared to be the frontrunner currently. Yet, with TikTok’s proprietary algorithm literally and figuratively at the core of the dispute from a business POV, now it seems the popular and powerful platform’s non-Chinese investors are working up a scheme in conjunction with Oracle to take over a majority stake for American operations.
Stay tuned.
The post TikTok Hires Nathaniel Brown As Global Corporate Communications Chief; Ex-WBD Exec Joins Zenia Mucha’s Team At Platform appeared first on Deadline.
