Zelnick Firms Up Planning With Siegler: Exec To Fortify Startup’s TV, Film And Internet
April, 23 2002
Variety, 04.23.02
Justin Oppelaar
Veteran television and dot-com exec Scott Siegler has been tapped to build a West Coast presence for ZelnickMedia, the media and entertainment investment startup run by former BMG Entertainment chief Strauss Zelnick. Siegler, whose career includes prexy stints at Columbia Pictures' TV division and the U.S. arm of British TV concern Granada Media, will come on board at the New York-based company as a partner, but will be based out of Los Angeles.
Exec's mandate will be to fortify ZelnickMedia's business in the TV, film and Internet industries. Firm's publicly announced deals so far include investments in Japanese music company Nippon Columbia (of which Zelnick has taken up the chairman mantle), as well as music netco Echo Networks.
"We've been active on the West Coast," Zelnick said in an interview. "But we can be much more active with an experienced entertainment executive on the ground."
Zelnick said the hire is part of the company's ongoing plans to build an integrated media company through a series of acquisitions, potentially ranging across music, film, TV, publishing and cyberspace.
Siegler most recently ran his own new-media consulting firm, Scott Siegler Enterprises, after serving as operating chief at broadband Internet-content company Vidyah.
Prior to his forays into cyberspace, exec founded and ran Granada Entertainment USA from 1997 to 2000. During the decade prior to that, he held a series of top TV posts, first as president of Tri-Star Pictures Television, and later at Columbia Pictures TV.
Siegler got his start in the biz as a documentary filmmaker, later holding exec jobs at NBC, CBS and Warner Bros. Television.