Buzznet nabs new exec from TMZ

Social site Buzznet, whose CEO makes it clear that he's hoping to compete with the likes of MySpace and MTV on the pop culture front, has nabbed a new executive from TMZ.com. Alan Citron, former general manager of the AOL-owned entertainment site, will become head of "special projects" at the company.

In the world of celebrity news, saying you've hired a TMZ alum is kind of like saying you've hired a Googler. But it's not a completely serendipitous catch: before TMZ, Citron was senior vice president of marketing at Movielink, which also counted current Buzznet CEO Tyler Goldman among its ranks.

Buzznet's strategy has been mixing a social network with editorial content rolled up from users as well as preexisting blogs that the site has acquired, like Stereogum and Idolator. An investment from Universal Music Group has given the site access to the record label's catalog, too.

Citron, who got his start as an editor and writer for the Los Angeles Times, has also been among the executive ranks of USA Network Interactive, Ticketmaster, and MusicNet.