Alexander Coridass, president/ceo of ZDF Enterprises, will remain in charge of the ZDF licensing subsidiary for another five years, according to Markus Schächter, gm of the German pubcaster ZDF, who said Coridass' contract has been renewed. The 51-year-old media manager has been in charge of the ZDF subsidiary since 1998.
Under Coridass' leadership ZDF Enterprises has grown to become a leading player in the international television market, remarked Schächter. The subsidiary has successfully marketed the ZDF Enterprises catalog, consisting of both ZDF in-house productions and third party programs, at home and abroad. Additionally, in the sphere of international co-productions, ZDF Enterprises has become a major force in the industry, with top-value history and wildlife documentaries, attractive children's programming and fiction material. Helped by the consistent and innovative strategy of its subsidiary, ZDF has joined the ranks of international market leaders and established itself as a premium television provider throughout the world.
Coridass studied journalism and law, became an attorney in 1982 and joined ZDF in 1985. He was initially legal consultant to the board of directors on matters of copyright and international law, and he also assumed responsibility for the international cable distribution of ZDF programming. He moved to the newly-found ZDF Enterprises in 1983, and was named president/ceo in 1998.
Coridass lectures at a number of academies and universities, has a position on several supervisory boards and the advisory committees of various media enterprises. He is also a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Founded in 1993, ZDF Enterprises (www.zdf-enterprises.de) is the wholly-owned subsidiary and commercial arm of ZDF, one of Europe's largest and most respected broadcasters. Headquartered in Mainz, Germany, ZDF Enterprises is responsible for the development, production and global distribution of original programming. The company is also responsible for all program acquisitions and international co-productions on behalf of the network, and acquires programming for worldwide distribution. Its vast program library ranks as the largest in the German language. The extensive catalogue includes television movies and mini-series, drama series and comedies, documentaries, family entertainment and children's programming. ZDF Enterprises also oversees all licensing and merchandising activities based on its high-profile programs, including book and music publishing and the licensing of its program properties in all key product categories.
Committed to the future, ZDF Enterprises has embarked on numerous New Media initiatives, ranging from opportunities within the burgeoning e-commerce industry to the creation of themed edutainment dimensions featuring the recognized program brands with which ZDF has become synonymous.
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