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Warner Bros. Television Group Creates Studio 2.0

The Warner Bros. Television Group is establishing a new digital production venture, dubbed Studio 2.0, which will work with creative talent and advertisers to create original live-action and animated short-form programming for broadband and wireless devices. WBTVG has tapped multi-award-winning producer and senior advertising exec Rich Rosenthal to head Studio 2.0.

Studio 2.0 will provide a creative platform for the Television Group's talent to produce content of varying lengths from multiple-episode series to one-offs. Rosenthal will actively align Studio 2.0 with advertisers seeking early identification and involvement with original programming. They will develop projects through independent creative resources as well as through the various in-place Warner Bros. Television Group production arms.

Studio 2.0 will look to license the programming to online sites, portals and wireless providers in collaboration with the recently formed Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.

"What has become eminently clear is that our advertising partners in our traditional television businesses are anxious to work in collaboration with the creative community to develop original digital content," said Bruce Rosenblum, president, Warner Bros. Television Group. "At our core, we are a content creation company and Studio 2.0 is a natural, yet extraordinarily exciting, extension of our television production businesses. We are confident that Rich and Studio 2.0 will successfully provide advertisers with cutting edge tools that will integrate their brands with inventive digital content in fresh, impactful and meaningful ways. At the same time, Studio 2.0 will present our creative partners in our television production divisions with a vibrant platform to express their vision in expanding digital arenas and allow us to collaborate with Simon Kenny (president, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution) and his team on terrific content for digital distribution."

"Rich's breadth of advertising experience, both as a creative and production exec, and the wide array of advertisers, brands and companies for which he has created, make him the ideal choice to run Studio 2.0. It is a coup to have him join us," added Craig Hunegs, evp, Warner Bros. Television Group.

Time Warner Global Marketing, the cross-divisional client partnerships arm of Time Warner, will work closely with Rosenthal and Time Warner advertising clients. "Having worked with Rich during his tenure at Y&R, I can tell you, he is a talented, creative executive who has great relationships in the advertising and creative communities," said John Partilla, president, Time Warner Global Marketing. "He will not only be a great asset for Warner Bros., we look forward to working with him at Time Warner Global Marketing as well."

Rosenthal joins WBTVG from a decade at Y&R where he served as exec producer/svp and most recently as head of production/evp. Prior to that, he was a vp at J. Walter Thompson and a producer at Saatchi & Saatchi.

During his career, he has won numerous Clio, Addy, Effie, AICP and London International awards. His work has been nominated for Emmy Awards and has been short listed at Cannes. Among the countless accounts on which he's worked are clients such as Chevron/Texaco, Xerox, 2012 NYC Olympic Bid, Sony, Computer Associates, United Airlines, Accenture, Metlife, Dr. Pepper, Blockbuster, ABB, American Red Cross, Kodak, Kellogg's, Lever Bros., Warner Lambert, Rolex, Clairol, Lipton, Bell Atlantic, Boston Market, Ragu, Tylenol, P&G and General Mills.

Rosenthal began his career at a production coordinator at Rick Levine Prods. and has also served as a freelance producer, production coordinator and location manager.

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