Interactive One Names Napster CTO David Wolfe as Chief Product and Operating Officer

Interactive One, parent company of BlackPlanet, NewsOne, TheUrbanDaily, HelloBeautiful, Elev8 and Giant announced today that Napster CTO David Wolfe has join as its Chief Product and Operating Officer. Wolfe will be responsible for the direction and strategy for Interactive One’s network of sites and brands. Additionally, he will be at the forefront of a unique multi-platform play in partnership with Interactive One’s parent company, Radio One. Wolfe will manage a staff of approximately 50 people and will report to Interactive One President, Thomas Newman.

“We are excited to bring David on board to enhance our users’ experience and to build upon our strong growth and success,” said Thomas Newman. “We have a very large and loyal following and we look forward to seeing David apply his proven talents to build upon our innovative products and create new offerings online and across mobile, video and other platforms.”

Wolfe is well positioned to bring BlackPlanet into the next phase of its growth. Given BlackPlanet’s history as a place for members to build their networks and fan bases around their passions for music and other interests, Wolfe will be able to leverage his understanding of the entertainment space to create a richer environment with enhanced features. He will also be charged with further developing Interactive One’s media sites and advertising platform, and he will lead the conversion of Radio One’s 52 station sites to create a holistic and consistent online presence across Radio One’s multimedia operations.

“I am thrilled to join the Interactive One team and to further expand the opportunities for African-Americans to enrich their lives with a compelling online experience,” said David Wolfe. “BlackPlanet and its sister sites have drawn an incredible number of users and we intend on continuing the tradition of creating innovative web products that both add value to existing users and strongly attract new users.”

At Napster, Wolfe served as the Chief Technology Officer and as a Senior Vice President. Prior to Napster, Wolfe served as Reunion.com’s President of Product & Technology for five years, during which he created a definitive product roadmap that positively engaged his team and helped drive the company’s revenues from $4 million to over $50 million.

Many of the responsibilities that fall under this new position were previously handled by Ben Sun, the founder of Community Connect, the parent company of BlackPlanet and other niche social networking sites. Sun remains an important member of the Interactive One team, and as such, he will continue to serve as a strategic advisor to the Company.