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NATPE Announces 2005 Agenda

The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) unveiled the agenda for its 2005 Conference & Exhibition, scheduled to take place Jan, 25-27, 2004, in its new location at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.

The annual conference will play host to a variety of panel discussions featuring senior level executives addressing a broad range of issues, from the maturing of cable networks, to the future of free over-the-air programming; from mobile enhancements of television packaging, to U.S. product in the global market; and from advice on how to succeed as an independent producer, to the reality of reality television. Main sessions will take place in the large venue of the Mandalay Bay Ballroom K, programs in the workshop-style will be in the Presentation Theatre while Chat Room events offering 65 seats give NATPE an intimate to grand scale. The complete schedule can be found at www.natpe.org.

We have lined up dynamic speakers, some of the most well known names in the business, to discuss not only important, but also interesting issues facing our industry, said Rick Feldman, president/ceo of NATPE. We are also continuing to out-pace ourselves in terms of registration, both in attendees and the companies that will be exhibiting. I am confident that the number and quality of participants this year will re-confirm NATPEs relevance in the marketplace.

Panelists, top industry leaders in a variety of sectors, include, but are not limited to, Kevin Beggs, president, Lions Gate Entertainment; Bill Cella, chairman, Magna Global U.S.; Michael J. Copps, FCC commissioner; Mark Cuban, co-founder/chairman HDNet; Dennis Fitzsimons, chairman, Tribune Co.; Rich Frank, chairman, The Firm; Bonnie Hammer, president SCI FI/USA Networks; Ted Harbert, president/ceo, E! Networks; Mark Kaner, president, Fox International; Andy Kaplan, sevp, Sony International; Debra Lee, president/coo, BET; Peter Ligouri, president/ceo, FX; Gregory Lipstone, svp, William Morris Agency; Catherine MacKay, ceo FremantleMedia Enterprises; Jon Miller, ceo, AOL; Bruce Rosenblum, evp, Warner Bros. Television Group; Dennis Swanson, evp/coo, CBS/Viacom; Nancy Tellem, president CBS Entertainment; Ted Turner, cable network pioneer; Anthony Vinciquerra, president/ceo, Fox Networks Group; and Jim Wiatt, coo, William Morris Agency.

NATPE 2005 will once again offer attendees the intimacy of Chat Rooms. Seating is limited to 65 and is on a first come, first served basis. Discussions will be held with Byron Allen, ceo/chairman, Entertainment Studios/CF Entertainment, Inc.; Carole Black, president/ceo, Lifetime Entertainment Services; Ramon Escobar, evp of programming and production, Telemundo Network; David Salzman, exec producer/writer, MADtv; Chris Sloan, vp of alternative series development, CBS; and Terry Wood, evp, programming, Paramount Domestic Television.

Thursday morning starts up with Coffee With David Janollari, president Entertainment, The WB; and Robert Greenblatt, president Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

Thursday afternoon will feature three panels on NATPEs TV Producers Boot Camp. The first panel on programming features Deborah Blackwell, svp/gm, ABC SoapNet; Zig Gauthier, vp, original programming development, GSN; Lynne Kirby, vp, alternative programming, Court TV; Jerry Lee, vp, program planning and scheduling, VH-1. The second panel Champagne Production Values on an Independent Beer Budget, will feature panelists David Ellzey, president, Red Gypsy Animation; Jeffrey G. Gund, president, Jeffrey G. Gund Music and Sound Design; Erin OMalley, line producer, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, DA ALI G SHOW, HBO; and David Albert Pierce, entertainment attorney, Pierce Law Group, LLP.

The third panel, Success Stories, features H. John Mejia, ceo/exec producer, In The Zone TV; John Moczulsk, independent producer; and Valerie Stillwell, independent producer. Eric Schotz, ceo, LMNO Productions will moderate this panel.

NATPE 2005 will dissect what makes a successful comedy or drama, as the focus of two Anatomy of a Hit presentations, TWO AND A HALF MEN and NIP/TUCK, both held during Wednesdays activities.

On Jan. 25, NATPE will celebrate the winners of its 2nd Annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards during a cocktail reception at the Mandalay Bay Resort. The awards, presented in association with BROADCASTING & CABLE, MULTICHANNEL NEWS and VARIETY and named in honor of the pioneering television executive, will recognize excellence and leadership in the creation of television programming. This years recipients include Carole Black, president/ceo of Lifetime Entertainment Services; Jim Burrows, Emmy award-winning director and producer; and Dick Wolf, Emmy award-winning producer and writer.

Major distributors signed up for the NATPE 2005 exhibition floor so far are Paramount Domestic Television, joining returning sister companies, King World Productions and CBS Paramount International Television, under the Viacom umbrella. Sony Pictures International Television will be joining the returning Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, the domestic and international operations of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Carsey-Werner, NBC Universal Television Distribution, Granada International and Granada America will also exhibit. Other floor exhibitors include DIC Ent., The DISCOP Organization, Harmony Gold, The Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA), Nielsen Media Research, Telefilm Canada, and TV France International, among many others.

Preceding the conference & exhibition, NATPE will hold an inaugural daylong session with iHollywood Forum entitled NATPE Mobile++ on January 24, that will address the impact of wireless, mobile and digital distribution technologies for television producers, developers, technology companies, broadcasters and advertisers.

NATPE is a global, non-profit organization dedicated to the creation, development and distribution of televised programming in all forms, across all platforms. NATPE develops and nurtures opportunities for the buying, selling and sharing of content and ideas.