Former USA Films exec Ruth Pomerance is on board at IDT Entertainment as evp, production and development, to oversee the acquisition and development of all feature film projects. In addition, she will supervise creative and production activities in television, direct-to-video and other entertainment media.

Pomerance has held key executive positions at leading entertainment companies, including, USA Films, Artists Management Group, Kopelson Entertainment, Davis Entertainment and the William Morris Agency.

CAPTAIN KANGAROO host Bob Keeshan died in Montpelier, Vermont on Jan. 23, 2004, reports CNN. He was 76 and had been suffering from a long illness. Keeshan hosted the CBS children's show from 1955 to 1985. The classic UPA TOM TERRIFIC series, created by Gene Deitch, was created specifically to air on CAPTAIN KANGAROO. He started working in entertainment as a NBC page during high school. For five years, he played the silent Clarabell the Clown on THE HOWDY DOODY SHOW.

Stuart Snyder, president/ceo of CINAR Corp., will step down from his position after the special meeting of CINAR shareholders in Montreal on Feb. 17, 2004 regarding the acquisition of all outstanding shares of CINAR by an investor group comprised of Michael Hirsh, Toper Taylor and TD Capital Canadian Private Equity Partners. At that time the current board of directors will be replaced by persons representing the investor group and the employment contracts of some senior execs will be affected as well.

Greg Smith has been tapped by Animal Logic (THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE MATRIX RELOADED and MOULIN ROUGE) to be director of communications & public affairs and a member of the Sydney, Australia-based vfx studio's executive management team.

Veteran MAD magazine illustrator George Woodbridge has passed away, reported the ASSOCIATED PRESS. He died of emphysema on Jan. 20, 2004 at the age of 73. Starting as a freelance artist for MAD in 1957, Woodbridge was best known for his detailed pen-and-ink drawings. A perfectionist when it came to authenticity, he also contributed drawings for military history books, including the three-volume, AMERICAN MILITARY EQUIPAGE, 1851-1872.

Mark Gray has resigned from his position as controller of program development Carlton International and will be leaving the company in early February 2004.

Gray joined CTE (Carlton) in 1995 as head of marketing and producer liaison, moving up to controller in 1999. He acquired new programming, largely in the U.K. independent sector, but also internationally, helping Carlton grow its catalog to more than 18,000 hours.

Marvel Enterprises Inc. has hired David Maisel as president and coo of Marvel Studios. He will work on expanding Marvel's success into new entertainment arenas as well as maximizing the commercial success of Marvel Studios' future feature film releases. Four feature films based on Marvel characters will be released in 2004: THE PUNISHER (Lions Gate, April 16), SPIDER-MAN 2 (Columbia, July 2), BLADE: TRINITY (New Line, Aug. 13) and MAN-THING (Artisan, October).

Robert F. Enrietto, Jr., former production manager, assistant director, producer and, most recently, administrator of Columbia College Chicago’s “Semester in L.A.” program, died of a heart attack during the holiday break (Dec. 27, 2003) while vacationing in Chicago. He was 62.

FX has hired former Jersey Television president and partner John Landgraf as president of entertainment. At FX, he will oversee of all development and production for original programming including series, films and new media.

Peter Liguori, president and ceo, FX Networks, said, "John Landgraf is the perfect fit for FX and a great addition to the network. I'm excited about working with someone of John's impeccable reputation and great programming instincts, and I'm confident that he will be an excellent creative partner."

Responding to growing demand for short-form post-production services in Hollywood, Encore Hollywood has brought on board Mike Cosola, a colorist with broad experience in commercials.

“Mike Cosola is one of the industry’s most experienced colorists in the commercial market,” said Encore HollywoodÊ sales exec Griffin Guess. “He helps to strengthen Encore’s position as a pillar in the commercial market.”

Guy Hudson, who worked on the visual effects for such notable projects as ALIEN, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, JURASSIC PARK and the DINOTOPIA TV series, passed away suddenly on Dec. 24, 2003 from a brain hemorrhage. He was 45 years old.

Hudson first came to Northern California in 1987 to work for Chris Walas Inc. Since then he has worked for such facilities as Disney, Henson Prods., Industrial Light & Magic and Western Images.

Steven A. Hobbs will join Hearst-Argyle Television Inc. in the newly created position of svp/chief legal and development officer, effective January 21, 2004, reporting to Hearst-Argyle TV president/ceo David J. Barrett.

Cyma Zarghami, who has been instrumental in making Nickelodeon the highest-rated basic cable network in total day ratings for more than eight straight years, has been promoted to the newly created position of President, Nickelodeon Television. In her new role, Zarghami will oversee all of Nickelodeon's television businesses, adding the digital channel Noggin/The N, which is now in 40 million homes, to her responsibilities, while continuing to oversee Nickelodeon Games & Sports (GAS) and Nicktoons.

Vfx artist and editor Jay Tilin has joined R!OT Manhattan. Tilin, employing both Quantel's Henry and Discreet Logic's Fire, is known for his award-winning spot work as well as his long-form and music video finishing.

Andy Boyd is on board the Framestore CFC commercials team as senior technical director. Boyd joins the company after several highly successful years at Glassworks, where he worked on a broad variety of projects, from conventional CG character animations such as the Kit-E-Kat cat, through edgier avant-garde work for Chris Cunningham's Monitor-award winning MONKEY DRUMMER video, to more abstract work such as the extraordinary faux-microscopic life forms seen in the award-winning video for Bjork's NATURE IS ANCIENT.

Interactive ad vet Francesca Cohn joined Ascent Media Creative Services Group in the newly-created post of director of strategic development, where will work to identify and develop new and innovative ways for advertising agencies and leading advertisers to make use of the creative and technical services offered by Ascent Media Creative Services companies, particularly Company 3, R!OT and POP Sound.

THQ Inc. is expanding international operations with two new strategic appointments: Ian Curran, previously md of THQ UK, to the newly created position of vp, European Publishing and Martin Good as vp of Asia-Pacific Publishing.

Curran will oversee the company's expanding European operations including offices in England, Germany and France. Since joining THQ in late 2000, Curran has played a key role in growing the company's international revenues to more than 25% of its global sales.

Fox Television Ent. Group chairman Sandy Grushow announced on Jan. 5, 2004 he had resigned his post effective immediately to launch a Twentieth Century Fox-based production company called Phase Two. His contract was set to expire in summer 2004.

Edward Peghin has joined Vancouver-based Atomic Cartoons as coo to oversee production and legal matters, human resources and marketing/sales initiatives.

John S. Chen, chairman/ceo/president of Sybase Inc., will join the Walt Disney Co. board of directors in January 2004, as ex-members Roy Disney and Stan Gold continue to publicly criticize the board and its actions.