IDT Ent. has been renamed Starz Media and Starz Ent. Group has been renamed Starz Ent., both wholly owned subsidiaries of Starz Llc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp. Liberty recently acquired IDTE from IDT Corp. Robert B. Clasen will serve as chairman/ceo of both entities and of Starz Llc., which will be the umbrella company overseeing the two operating units.
The new company will produce live-action and animated programming, including feature films, series, specials and shorts, as well as distributing that programming to consumers however and wherever they want to watch: in theaters, on DVDs, via cable or satellite, on broadcast stations, and over the Internet in both the domestic and international markets.
Clasen had been president/ceo of SEG.
"Our new company," Clasen said, "will produce all kinds of programming and distribute through all platforms. Because of that structure we will be able to provide greater creative freedom to those who produce our programming and a more innovative approach to the business relationships with those partners who distribute it. We can tailor our programming to specific needs or develop programming that works on multiple platforms. In the modern media world creativity will be the key to success, and creativity will be the hallmark of our company."
Most units in the new company will be branded with the Starz name, although well known brands such as Anchor Bay, Encore, Film Roman, Manga and Vongo will keep their identities as well.
At Starz Media (formerly IDT Ent.), key business areas include:
Starz Home Ent. manages the sales and marketing of content direct to the consumer through traditional retail and non-traditional channels. The well-known Anchor Bay Ent. and Manga Ent. brands are part of this unit. John W. Hyde, president/coo of Starz Media, serves as president of Starz Home Ente. Prior to joining Starz Media, Hyde was ceo of Crossroads V Communications and Starbound Records, where he oversaw the domestic and foreign distribution of more than 125 motion pictures and led the restructuring of nearly a dozen entertainment companies.
Bill Clark evp/gm of Starz Home Ent. Manga is headed by md Kaoru Mfaume.
Starz Prods. produces non-theatrical live0action programming for DVD release and sale to networks and other outlets. The unit already produces the MASTERS OF HORROR series for Showtime and MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION for ABC Television Network.
Film Roman provides animation under contract for television series, as well as produces feature films, direct-to-DVD programming, commercials and music videos, both internally and through strategic joint ventures. Through its division, Forum Visual Effects, it also produces visual effects for television and feature films. Hyde is ceo of Film Roman, and Scott Greenberg is president/coo.
Worldwide Distribution is responsible for all marketing, sales and distribution functions as well as Internet, wireless and general business development. Content distributed by this unit includes programming developed by Starz units and content acquired from outside producers. The team licenses the content to outlets, including theaters, broadcast television, ad-supported satellite networks, premium television networks, and Internet and wireless video distributors in the U.S. and internationally. Neil Braun, president of distribution and marketing, heads this unit. Prior to joining Starz Media, Braun was co-founder/president of Vanguard Animation, president of the NBC Television Network, chairman/ceo of Viacom Ent. and president/coo of Imagine Films Ent.
Other key execs include evp, marketing, Amorette Jones; evp, television, David Ozer; and svp, business development and strategy, Marc DeBevoise.
Starz Animation develops and produces animated feature-length movies. It draws on the talent of several state-of-the-art animation studios with more than 600 artists and technical staff in the U.S. and Canada. It is headed by ceo Kent Rice and president Janet Healy. Rice had been executive advisor to SEG, and, prior to that, was president/ceo of International Channel Networks and mc/coo of Liberty Global's Norway division. Prior to joining Starz Animation, Healy was head of digital production for DreamWorks Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation. She produced SHARK TALE at DreamWorks.
Jerry Davis is chief creative officer for animation. Davis had been an exec at Blue Sky Studios where he produced ROBOTS and was a creative exec on ICE AGE.
Chris McGurk is senior advisor, new ventures, to Starz Media. Prior to joining Starz Media, McGurk was vice chairman/coo of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., president/coo of Universal Pictures and president of The Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group. Along with his advisory role, McGurk is developing a live-action motion picture and theatrical distribution business for Starz Media.
William D. Myers has been named president/coo of Starz Ent., responsible for all day-to-day business operations of the company. Myers had been ceo/cfo for SEG.
Key units of this company include:
Starz and Encore channels deliver premium television programming to 15.1 million and 27.1 million homes respectively through cable, satellite and telephone company affiliates. The unit also delivers on-demand services and high definition television channels and the newly launched IndiePlex and RetroPlex channels. Key execs of this unit include evp of affiliate sales and marketing Edward L. Huguez and svp of programming Stephan Shelanski, both of whom had held these posts at SEG. Prior to joining SEG, Huguez had been president/ceo/chairman of Midstream technologies and vp/gm new media and interactive programming and platforms group at DIRECTV. Prior to joining SEG in 1994, Shelanski had worked for HBO as director of scheduling for Cinemax.
Vongo provides a menu of almost 2,000 movies and other programming, as well as a stream of the flagship Starz channel, to monthly subscribers and pay-per-view customers via broadband Internet connections. It has marketing partnerships with AT&T, HP and Toshiba. It is headed by evp Robert Greene, who held the same post at SEG. Prior to joining SEG, Greene was chairman/ceo of Digital Lava Inc. and svp of sales and marketing at Showtime Networks Inc.
Starz Ent. svp, human resources and administration, Sheryl Anderson will oversee the integration of the Starz Media and Starz Ent. human resources practices and policies.
Clasen noted that the new company will be in a strong position to acquire programming from independent producers because a producer will be able to make a single deal covering all major distribution platforms.
In addition to Clasen, who is chairman/ceo of both Starz Ent. and Starz Media, other execs who hold the same job at both companies include:
* Glenn Curtis, evp/cfo* J. Steven Beabout, evp/general counsel* Thomas P. Southwick, svp, corporate communications* Linda J. Brauns, vp, strategic planning and analysis
Starz Ent. (www.starz.com) is a premium movie service provider operating in the U.S. It offers 16 movie channels, including the flagship Starz and Encore brands with approximately 15.1 million and 27.1 million subscribers respectively. Starz Ent. airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HDTV, Starz On Demand and Vongo.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
