VALLEY PEOPLE

* Glenn R. Weisberger has left Universal Television & Network Group, Universal City, to become senior vice president and general counsel for Harvey Entertainment, Los Angeles, the company announced. Weisberger had been vice president/director of legal affairs at Universal, where he had held positions since 1991.

The Harvey Entertainment Co. manages and markets branded entertainment media and merchandise including video, feature films, television and the Internet. Harvey characters include Caspar, the Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich and Little Audrey.

* Kenton Low has been promoted to president of Universal Studios Online, Universal Studios announced, and Stephanie Sperber has been promoted to senior vice president corporate marketing and partnerships, Universal Studios, Universal City. In the newly created position, Low will oversee a strategy to leverage online opportunities for marketing, e-commerce and business to business applications. Sperber will continue to develop new corporate alliances and maximize opportunities with Universal’s corporate partners, the company said.

Universal Studios is a unit of the Seagram Co. Ltd., a global entertainment and beverage company.

* Andrew Wheeler has been hired as vice president, engineering, for Spatializer Audio Laboratories, Woodland Hills, the company said. Wheeler will direct the company’s research and development and applications engineering efforts. Wheeler had been with Aureal Semiconductor where he was software engineering manager..

Spatializer develops, licenses and markets technologies for the consumer electronics, computer and entertainment industries. The company provides audio technology for companies including Toshiba, JVC, Apple, Dell, Gateway and others.

* John Leverence has been promoted to the new position of vice president of the awards department of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the academy said. Leverence had been in charge of the Primetime and Los Angeles Emmy Awards operations for almost 20 years.

* Joseph D. Castano has been appointed chief financial officer for Turbodyne Technologies Inc., Woodland Hills. Castano replaces Khal Kader, who has resigned to pursue other opportunities, the company said.

Turbodyne manufactures machined aluminum castings for the automotive industry and designs and manufactures pollution and fuel reduction products for internal combustion engines.

* Daniel S. Bishop has been elected senior vice president and general counsel by the board of directors of Unova Inc., Woodland Hills. Bishop replaces Norman L. Roberts, who is retiring after 32 years with the company. Bishop comes to Unova from Paxar Corp., New York, where he had been vice president, general counsel and secretary.

UNOVA manufactures machine tools and systems for automotive, aerospace and metalworking, telecommunications and computer industries.

* Walt Disney Feature Animation, Burbank, has named Jeffrey Farnath senior vice president of business development and finance for Walt Disney Feature Animation and Theatrical Productions, the company said. In addition, both Bob Bacon and Duncan Orrell-Jones have been promoted to vice presidents of finance. Farnath will supervise all areas of business development and finance and will negotiate international licenses for Disney’s stage show business. Bacon will oversee production finance for all of feature animation and Orrell-Jones will be in charge of operational finance and accounting for feature animation’s worldwide operations.

In addition, Russ Gillam has been promoted to senior vice president and general manager of Disney Direct, a newly created unit of Buena Vista Internet Group, North Hollywood. He will be responsible for merging the assets of venues including The Disney Store Online and The Disney Catalogue into one operation.

Walt Disney Feature Animation and Buena Vista are part of the Walt Disney Co., a diversified entertainment company.

* Melissa B. Cummings has been named manager of publicity for Dick Clark Productions, Burbank, the company said. Cummings joined the company in 1997.

Dick Clark Productions Inc. produces television programming for broadcast, cable and advertising.

* Thinque Systems Corp., Universal City, announced the addition of three sales account executives. John McKnight will cover the West Coast region, Jason Panick will be based in the Chicago office and cover the Midwest, and John Tulli, based in New York, will be responsible for sales in the East Coast area.

Thinque Systems develops integrated communications software designed to improve customer relations and sales.