HRTS eNews - 10/30/2007 (Plain Text Version)
In this issue:
HRTS News and Features
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Network Chiefs Summit 2007
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From The Executive Director
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Profile: Reginald Hudlin
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Profile: Eric Steinberg
Member News
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HRTS Members in action
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HRTS Fall Mixer a hit!
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Welcome new HRTS Members
Jr. HRTS
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JHRTS News & Announcements
About The HRTS
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Officers, Board of Directors, Staff
HRTS Members in action
What's happening with your fellow HRTS members...
Associated Television International Names James Romanovich President,
Worldwide Media and Entertainment
Justin Pierce Tapped as Senior Vice President
Los Angeles (August 22, 2007): Signifying plans to expand its range of programming, Associated Television International (ATI) has named James Romanovich, President, worldwide media and entertainment, and Justin Pierce as Senior Vice President. The announcement was made by company president David McKenzie. Romanovich will head up all areas of distribution including marketing and sales, as well as overseeing the production of key projects, while working closely with Pierce, who’ll be spearheading the development of new reality and scripted programming. ATI just produced “Diana: The Legend and Legacy of A Princess,” a 90-minute special for MyNetworkTV. Joan Collins hosts the project with Romanovich serving as an executive producer and Pierce as production executive.
Most recently, Romanovich spent two years heading up domestic television and international sales at Allumination Filmworks, working under Jeff Sagansky and Kerry McCluggage. At Allumination, he structured several deals with top rated cable networks, as well as establishing and managing a syndication division. Previously, Romanovich spent fifteen years at ATI, serving in posts of increasing scope and responsibility. He began his career in Chicago as a morning disc jockey.
Prior to joining ATI, Pierce headed up JP Consulting Group after tenures in corporate communications and media relations at Fox Television Studios and Columbia TriStar Television. An attorney, Pierce previously acted as consultant to Joan Collins’ Gemini Star Productions, where he helped set up her successful 7-hour CBS mini-series “Sins,” Additionally, he orchestrated product licensing opportunities for Ms. Collins. Pierce began his career as a rock music journalist.
Current ATI projects include the “World Magic Awards,” a fall event that will be broadcast as a network special, "Real Vice Cops," set to premiere on ITV in the UK with a US debut in '08 and “Laura McKenzie’s Traveler,” which is entering its second season in syndication this September. ATI is also prepping several network and cable specials to be announced shortly.
Joel McGee has been named to the post of Executive Director of Development at GSN. In this position his responsibilities include developing in-house original content as well as managing various projects from outside production companies.
McGee comes to the Santa Monica-based GSN offices with over a decade of experience developing and producing game shows, talk shows, and reality programs for regional, national, and international broadcasters. He most recently served as Director of Program Development at Animal Planet, where he helped develop dozens of natural wildlife documentaries along with a number of successful domestic-pet and format-driven projects. Prior to that, McGee served as Director of Production at Jonathan Goodson Productions, helping to launch and maintain twenty-five different game shows around the world. In his tenure with Jonathan Goodson Productions, he served as the supervising producer of the California Lottery’s weekly game show, The Big Spin, producing more than 250 episodes.
McGee began his entertainment career in 1994 as a production assistant at Mark Goodson Productions, working on such hit game shows as The Price Is Right, Family Feud, and The New Price Is Right. His relationship with GSN began in 2002 while developing and producing the network’s original game show CRAM. Among his accomplishments since, he has produced PAX-TV’s Dirty Rotten Cheater and overseen the start-up of its foreign productions in India, Italy and Japan. McGee is a member of The Producer’s Guild of America, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, The Hollywood Radio & Television Society and The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.