He will oversee all the company’s research efforts, including programming and ad sales research for Rainbow’s national entertainment networks, including IFC, Sundance Channel and AMC – which airs the hit drama series ‘Breaking Bad’ (pictured).

Ziangas comes to Rainbow after more than 19 years at media research firm Nielsen. He was most recently SVP of expanded media services, which provides research and measurement tools to help clients assess the value of brands and sponsorship. Before that he was SVP of Nielsen Sports.

He began his career in 1986 working for Nielsen Homevideo Index, but left to join the ad sales research department at the Family Channel in 1993. There, he rose to manager of sales development resources before returning to Nielsen in 1997.

Ziangas’s new boss, Michael DiPasquale, Rainbow’s executive vice president of operations, said: “Tom’s long tenure with Nielsen Media Research makes him a perfect choice to lead our research activities, as Rainbow’s multi-platform entertainment brands continue to grow apace.”