Scott Siegler Joins Zelnickmedia
April, 23 2002
Former president of Columbia Pictures Television, Tri Star Pictures Television, and Granada Entertainment USA will reinforce ZelnickMedia West Coast profile
(New York, April 23, 2002) In a move to strengthen and broaden the company's presence in the fields of film, television and the internet concentrated on the West Coast, ZelnickMedia has appointed Scott Siegler to its senior management team. The announcement was made today by Strauss Zelnick.
ZelnickMedia, and partners Strauss Zelnick, Ben Feder, Jim Friedlich and Karl Slatoff, provides general management and financial advisory services to its portfolio of traditional and new media and entertainment companies, which include Nippon Columbia Co, Ltd., Japan's oldest recorded music company, recently named distributors of the Savoy Label Group.
In this new capacity, Mr. Siegler will utilize the extensive network of contacts he has built in the entertainment industry over the last 15 years to maximize deal flow and develop new alliances on behalf of ZelnickMedia. Siegler will be based in Los Angeles where ZelnickMedia will open offices. The company currently has offices in New York and Tokyo.
"We are pleased to have someone of Scott's caliber joining ZelnickMedia," said Strauss Zelnick. "Scott has a longstanding reputation in the new technology and entertainment communities and will be a tremendous asset as we broaden our focus on the West Coast."
"Strauss Zelnick and his partners at ZelnickMedia represent a winning combination of outstanding business management savvy and impressive business experience that are essential for success in today's marketplace," said Scott Siegler. "I am thrilled to become a member of their team."
2. Most recently president of Scott Siegler Enterprises, Inc., the new media consulting company that he established in Los Angeles one year ago, Mr. Siegler has led an exciting career in the entertainment business. The executive positions he has held include serving as founder and president of Tri-Star Pictures Television during 1986-87, as president of Columbia Pictures Television for seven years (1987 to 1994), and as founder and president of Granada Entertainment USA for three years (1997 to 2000).
Prior to opening his own firm last year, Mr. Siegler was president and Chief Operating Officer of Vidyah, formerly Knowledge Broadcasting.com LLC, beginning in May 2000. The Internet content and technology start-up was one of the Larry Ellison-Mike Milken Knowledge Universe companies designed to create information-based, vertical channels for the broadband environment.
After working as a documentary filmmaker, Mr. Siegler began his formal executive career in network television as manager of current Drama at NBC, he then served as Vice President, Drama at CBS and Vice President, Comedy at CBS. In 1982, Siegler was appointed Senior Vice President, Warner Brothers Television, where he was responsible for developing, selling, and producing comedy and drama series, television movies and mini-series, reality and game shows.
In 1986, Mr. Siegler was asked to start Tri-Star Television, a division of Tri-Star Pictures. His responsibilities at Tri Star encompassed every department, including legal, business affairs, production, publicity, and creative affairs. When Tri Star Pictures and Columbia Pictures Industries were consolidated in 1987, he was appointed president, Columbia Pictures Television. For the next seven years, which included the studio's shift of ownership from Coca Cola to the Sony Corporation, Mr. Siegler's responsibilities included the legal, business affairs, publicity and promotion, creative affairs, and production departments.
In 1995, Mr. Siegler began serving as a consultant to Netscape Corporation during its start-up stages, advising them on matters of marketing, strategic content, and promotion. The following year he was named president of Entertainment at American Cybercast, the first company to produce episodic entertainment for the Internet (including the award-winning landmark series called "The Spot").
Hired to create a television production entity in North America for the U.K.'s Granada Media Group, Mr. Siegler was appointed president of Granada Entertainment USA in 1997. He was subsequently appointed president of GB Entertainment, a joint venture between Granada and the BBC that was intended to grow market share in the U.S. After three years, including numerous successful series placements on American networks and several movie-for-television productions, he moved on to the Knowledge Broadcasting venture two years ago.
3. Mr. Siegler holds the Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre arts from Brandeis University, a Master of Arts degree in English literature from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Arts degree (Phi Beta Kappa) in philosophy from Union College. He also attended the American Film Institute under a director's fellowship and in 1979 Mr. Siegler won the Emmy award as producer/writer/director of the documentary, "They Shall Take Up Serpents."
ZelnickMedia is a group of experienced executives who provide management expertise to a diverse group of media enterprises. Working with an array of financial sponsors, ZelnickMedia advises, manages and operates companies seeking strategic advice, turnaround management, consolidation and buildup expertise. Among ZelnickMedia's companies is Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd., Japan's oldest recorded music company. Nippon Columbia is also home to the prestigious Savoy Jazz catalog which was relaunched in Spring 2002 as part of the U.S. based Savoy Label Group which includes the Denon Classics music catalog.
Contact:
Keith Estabrook
ZelnickMedia
917.796.5163