MICHAEL PERIK, the Learning Company's chairman, and its president, KEVIN
O'LEARY, have moved on from MATTEL, INC. A search has begun for a new
person to helm Mattel Interactive, the division which includes all units of
the Learning Company, Mattel Media and the company's Intel Play venture. In
related news, Mattel has said that FRANCESCA LUZURIAGA will be the new
chief operating officer of Mattel Interactive, responsible for finance,
information technology and new business development. In addition, the

A sad cloud has eclipsed the world of animation since the passing of
beloved voice-over actress, Mary Kay Bergman. She recently has provided the
voice for Daphne Blake in the two most recent Scooby-Doo direct-to-video
flicks; Batgirl/Barbara Gordon in "Batman: Subzero"; the "official" voice
for Disney's Snow White; and all but one of the female voices on Comedy
Central's "South Park." Many questions surrounding the details of her
passing have surfaced since fans have logged onto her Web site which only

CLICK 3X picks designer, SOPHIA PAVLATOS, and editor, ANN HUSANI, to add to their New York staff. Pavlatos returns to Click 3X
from which she left in 1997. Since then she worked as a compositor and
designer for Tapehouse Digital/Black Logic and free lanced using Flame and
After Effects. Husani moves from the Atlanta branch of Click 3X, for which
she has worked since October 1996, to the New York office.

THE FIRM DESIGN GROUP, a creative concept studio specializing in broadcast design and image campaigns, has hired creative director/director PETER BUREGA. Burega will head up the West Coast studio in Venice, California, USA and direct commercials for The Film Design Group's parent company, Fourth of July Productions. Burgega's recent credits include indentity spots for the USA Network and commercials for House of Blues International and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS has promoted ROB MOORE to the position of
executive vice president of operations and finance. In his new position, Moore will be responsible for all of the business and operating activities of The Walt Disney Studios, including feature animation, live action film, TV animation and Wonderful World of Disney television production, theatrical and video marketing and distribution, the Studio's music operations, stage play business and Miramax Films. Moore, 37, joined The Walt Disney Studios in 1987 as a senior financial analyst. In 1990, he was promoted to vice

WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION has promoted DUNCAN ORRELL-JONES to the
position of vice president of finance. In his new role, Orrell-Jones
will oversee operational finance and accounting for Feature Animation's
worldwide operations, including Disney's Burbank, Orlando and Paris
animation studios. Since May 1997, Orrell-Jones has served as the
director of finance and planning, during which time he has been responsible for developing and managing Feature Animation's labor, expense and capital

DISNEY CONSUMER PRODUCTS has named ROBYN MILLER senior vice president of
Global Marketing and Studio Development. In her new role, Miller will be
responsible for developing and implementing worldwide marketing and
branding strategies for all of Disney Consumer Products' businesses:
Licensing, The Disney Store, Disney Publishing Worldwide, Walt Disney Art
Classics and Disney Interactive. She will also oversee the development of
consumer products strategies for Disney entertainment properties. At Buena

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY has completed the next stage in the development of
its international organization for Europe by naming six Disney veterans to
country management roles. The six executives will all become managing
director of six country groupings. CLAUS GYDESEN, 39, has been appointed
managing director for Germany, Austria and Switzerland and will continue to
be based in Munich. As head of Disney's video operations in these markets,
Gydesen established a direct-to-retailer operation that helped make Buena

OLAF OLAFSSON has been named vice chairman of TIME WARNER DIGITAL MEDIA.
Olafsson's appointment becomes effective November 15. Olafsson will work
with Michael Pepe, president and chief operating officer of Time Warner
Digital Media, and the rest of the management team at Time Warner Digital
Media to continue developing strategic business plans for Time Warner's
diverse digital media businesses and identifying emerging growth
opportunities for the company in the digital realm. Olafsson joins Time

FRANK SAPERSTEIN has been appointed Creative Director of Philippines-based
pasi (PHILIPPINE ANIMATION STUDIO, INC.). His responsibilities will include
quality control, co-productions and marketing, and technical development of
the studio. He is based out of Los Angeles, California. Saperstein comes
directly from Matinee Entertainment where he served as
Producer/Director/Writer of KAMPUNG BOY, a co-production with pasi, which
won a Special Prize for Best TV Program at Annecy '99. In addition, MIMBI

WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION has promoted BOB BACON to the position of
vice president of finance. Bacon will oversee production finance for all of
Feature Animation, including both traditional and CGI-based projects at
Disney's Burbank, Orlando and Paris animation studios. Most recently, Bacon
served as Feature Animation's director of production finance.

Several weeks ago (Animation Flash 9/28/99) Oxygen Media, Geraldine Laybourne's company founded to
provide content for women, announced its online production team. Now Oxygen
Media has named seven executive producers for its original cable television
line-up. CARSEY WERNER MANDABACH will oversee seven hours of original
programming each day on the 24-hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week cable network. The
new appointments are: LINDA CORRADINA (former Senior Vice President,
Programming and Production, VH1) will join Giselle Benetar as Executive

DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE has made several appointments. GUIDO
MASTROPAOLO has been named Director of Global Planning and Business
Development for Disney Publishing Worldwide. Located in Paris,
Mastropaolo's duties will include leading international initiatives to grow
revenue by negotiating acquisitions, new business ventures and major
licensing deals in order to ensure meeting overall publishing financial
goals. In addition, he will co-manage the strategic planning process and

WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION has named JEFFREY FARNATH to the post of
senior vice president of business development and finance for Walt Disney
Feature Animation and Walt Disney Theatrical Productions. In addition to
supervising all areas of business development and finance, Farnath will
negotiate and manage international licenses for Disney's stage-show
business, oversee long-term strategic planning for Disney's animation
production units and develop growth strategies for theatrical productions

FOX FILMED ENTERTAINMENT has named STEVEN BERSCH President of FOX
INTERACTIVE, the studio's entertainment and sports computer and video game
software unit. Bersch succeeds Fox Interactive's current President, Jon
Richmond, who was recently named President of New Digital Media at Fox. In
his new position, Bersch will be directly responsible for driving all
aspects of the business including the development and production of the
division's interactive entertainment and sports games, as well as

OXYGEN MEDIA, Geraldine Laybourne's media company founded to provide
content for women, has promoted LISA GERSH HALL to chief operating officer.
She will be responsible for legal matters, finance, human resources,
business affairs and e-commerce. Previously, Hall was general counsel and
chief administrative officer. Oxygen has also hired DAN TAITZ to be general
counsel. He was formerly a partner with New York law firm Friedman Kaplan &
Seiler.

BUENA VISTA PICTURES MARKETING has promoted MAE JOYCE to vice president of
national publicity, and DAVID SINGH to vice president of creative film
services. JOYCE will be responsible for strategizing, coordinating and
administrating all aspects of national publicity for films released under
the Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures
banners. Joyce joined Disney in November 1996 after two years as a
publicist with Warner Bros. During her tenure at Disney, she has served as

JAMES SOMMERVILLE, co-founder of THE ATTIK, has relinquished his most
recent role as creative director of the New York branch to oversee the
development of the company throughout its five offices in Huddersfield
(England), London, New York, San Francisco and Sydney. While based in
London, Sommerville will continue to direct both commercials and long form
projects through The Attik/New York and London. Also, The Attik's executive
producer JIM MORAN has added managing director to his title and assumed

SONY PICTURES FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT (SPFE) has hired TAMARA Y. WOOLFORK as
director of business affairs. Woolfork will be responsible for SPFE's full
range of business affairs negotiations for theatrical motion pictures,
television and direct-to-video productions. Woolfork joins Sony from Warner
Bros. Feature Animation where she served as director of business and legal
affairs for the last three years on projects such as QUEST FOR CAMELOT and
THE IRON GIANT.

DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE has named STEVE ASTER vice president of
circulation and global operations, and LISA HOLTON has been promoted to
senior vice president, group publisher for global children's books. ASTER
will manage global operations and production services, which includes
manufacturing, printing, and co-printing, as well as a wide range of
services to Disney Publishing Worldwide's licensees. Aster joined The Walt
Disney Company in 1998 as vice president of circulation for Buena Vista