Cindy Cosenzo takes on producing at PDI.
Hollywood Shuffle
Simon Graty has been named executive director of original programming for The Disney Channel's new production office in New York. His responsibilities will include overseeing New York-based Disney Channel original productions, such as the upcoming 1998 series PB & J, being produced by Jumbo Pictures. Graty was previously a development and programming executive for Children's Television Workshop (CTW) and, prior to that, for Nickelodeon UK. . . . Pacific Data Images (PDI) has brought on animation producer Cindy Cosenzo to manage commercial production for their Palo Alto, California studio. She was formerly a producer at Pizazz Pictures in London. . . . .Albert Miller has been hired to teach fundamentals of animation, in the new four-year animation program at Woodbury University. Miller previously taught animation history at the University of Colorado. . . . .John Claster, president of kids TV programming distributor Claster Television for nearly 25 years, is leaving his post to pursue other projects in the industry. His sister, and current Executive VP and VP of program development, Sally Bell, will take his place as president. Claster Television is owned by the toy manufacturer Hasbro. . . .Andy Lewis, a former finance and planning executive for Buena Vista Television, has been hired as Senior VP of Warner Bros. Television Animation. He will be working directly under Jean MacCurdy, who has been president of Warner Bros. Television Animation since 1992 . . . . Multimedia publisher Binary Media Works, a sister company to anime distributor Central Park Media, named Matt Ikegawa as Manager of Technology and Katherine Keating as Online Producer . . . . IAAPA (The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a non-profit organization) has restructured its leadership to be headed by a volunteer board of directors, under chairman Larry Cochran of Six Flags Theme Parks . . . Parachute Consumer Products, the merchandise licensing division of Parachute Properties, has found two new recruits from the comic world; Lee Ann Taylor (formerly of Marvel Entertainment) has been named Director of International Licensing, and Nel Yomtov (formerly of DC Comics) will be Creative Director. . . . .Steve McBeth has announced impending resignation from his post as president of Disney Interactive. McBeth, who has yet to announce his next move, will be voluntarily joining the ranks of roughly 100 people who were laid off from Disney Interactive during a downsizing in April.
Sally Bell will take over for John Claster
as president of Claster Television.
Animation World News is compiled daily for publication in the AWN Daily Flash, the weekly Animation Flash email newsletter, and monthly issues of Animation World Magazine.
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