Track Hosted by Mobile Entertainment Forum
Wireless Entertainment & Technology – The Audio, Video and Text-Based Experience
Monday, March 29
10:45 AM - Noon
Participation TV Programming & Marketing - "SMS – Mobile and Telephony
With the explosion of reality TV programming, so has the phenomenon of participation TV, the polls, the contests, the games, quizzes and chats – value-added concepts integrated into the context of the TV programming. From sporting events to quiz and reality shows, Participation TV is being embraced by the consumer. In this session, we will hear from the experts about both the phenomenon of the programming as well as the technological advances being made to enhance the relationship between the programmer and the viewer. A bonus in this process is of course the profitability of the enterprise. What does it mean to the programmer, the advertiser or mobile partner when ten million viewers are engaged in a participating experience? What is the future of Participation TV? What does it mean for the bottom line? In this session, we will explore a growing phenomenon and opportunity.
Elizabeth Sherman, Vice President, New Media, Endemol USA (Fear Factor, Big Brother)
James Glasscock, Director, Advanced Media Technology, Turner Broadcasting System
Ross Levinsohn, Senior Vice President & General Manager – Fox Sports Interactive Media
Bruce Gersh, Vice President, Business Development, ABC Entertainment Group
Craig Dalton, Director, Business Development, Proteus
Mark Scarpa, Producer/Director, Chair, Producers Guild of America, New Media Council NY Committee, Moderator
Elizabeth Sherman, Vice President, New Media, Endemol USA: Elizabeth Sherman, the Vice President of New Media, oversees marketing, licensing and new media initiatives encompassing online and wireless for Endemol USA’s portfolio of television properties, including the hit shows Fear Factor (NBC), Big Brother (CBS), Extreme Makeover: The Home Edition (ABC) and the upcoming reality show Todd TV on FX. Endemol is one of the largest independent television production companies in the world with more than 500 television formats and 15,000 hours of programming. Prior to joining Endemol USA, Ms. Sherman was the Director of Programming, Development, Marketing and Promotions for Warner Bros. Online. During her tenure at the studio, she oversaw content and promotion of Warner Bros. programming on the Internet and America Online for high profile brands, including Friends, ER andThe Rosie O’Donnell Show. Ms. Sherman came to Warner Bros. from Time Inc. Ventures Television. She was Co-Creator and Creative Consultant on the critically acclaimed television series, Your Mind & Body, syndicated by Warner Bros., which was awarded the 1996 American Women in Radio and Television Award for superior production quality. Ms. Sherman holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. She resides with her husband in Los Angeles. Endemol USA is a leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted genres for network and cable television and is a division of Endemol Holding, a prominent international content developer, producer and distributor of television and online programming. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, has subsidiaries and joint ventures in twenty-two countries, including the major European markets, the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. Endemol Entertainment is a fully owned subsidiary of telecommunications giant Telefónica S.A., one of the largest companies in Spain.
Ross Levinsohn, Senior Vice President & General Manager – Fox Spo
rts Interactive Media: As Senior Vice President and General Manager, Ross Levinsohn is responsible for the overall Interactive Media businesses of for FOX SPORTS including internet, wireless, broadband and interactive television. In this role, he oversees the interactive presence and opportunities for Fox Sports, Fox Sports Net and Fox Sports World and Fuel, the new extreme sports and lifestyle channel. His responsibilities include oversight of all aspects of the interactive businesses and interaction between all four broadcast and cable networks within the Fox Sports Group. Prior to joining Fox, Levinsohn served as Vice President and Executive Producer of the AltaVista Network. In this role, he was responsible for the overall development and implementation of the AltaVista Network, which includes all search, directory and content areas within the site. He joined the company in April, 1999 as Vice President and General Manager, New Media, where he oversaw the development and launch of AltaVista LIVE!, the personalized portal content offering from AltaVista, which launched in October, 1999. Previously, Levinsohn served as Vice President, Programming and Executive Producer of CBS Sportsline, where he oversaw all content and development for the top rated sports site. As one of the first employees at the internet start up, Levinsohn helped craft the overall online strategy for the company, and managed the day to day programming and content execution for the web site and its related production relationships with AOL, PGA Tour.com, Michael Jordan.com; and, SanFrancisco49ers.com. He also created and served as Executive Producer for the syndicated weekly television program "Football Playbook" starring former NFL coaches Marv Levy and Sam Wyche. Prior to joining CBS Sportsline, Levinsohn was Director of Production and Marketing Enterprises for HBO. In that role, he developed television programming, and licensing, merchandising and new media opportunities for the world’s largest Pay-TV network. Levinsohn spent three years at ProServ, Inc., a leading sports marketing and management company, where he represented a variety of athletes and developed marketing and sponsorship programs. He began his career at Saatchi and Saatchi in New York, and worked at the sports public relations firm Lapin and Rose, where he oversee marketing and publicity for a variety of sports clients including Top Rank Boxing, Showtime and the MLB Old Timers Baseball Series. Levinsohn is an advisory board member for Winmec, the Wireless Internet for the Mobile Enterprise Consortium and Convizion, a privately funded digital rights management company. He is also a former board member of the Florida Make-A-Wish Foundation. In 1995, while at HBO, GQ Magazine named him one of the "40 under 40" people to watch in the sports business.James Glasscock is Director Advanced Media Technology for Turner Broadc
asting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.). Glasscock is currently charged with helping to develop and support the Company's interactive strategy for Turner Sports, Turner Classic Movies, TBS Superstation, TNT and Cartoon Network. Primary areas of emphasis included broadband, emerging advertising technologies, interactive television and time shifted television. In addition, he supports the CTO Council which develops technology strategy and architecture and fosters alliances across the Time Warner portfolio of networks and businesses. Glasscock has also participated in Turner Entertainment's Long Range Technology Planning and Media Asset Management strategy. Glasscock joined Turner Broadcasting in May 2002, from Zone Ventures technology commercialization arm, where he was Director of New Ventures Research & Strategy. At Zone, he focused on identifying new market opportunities for high technology intellectual property from Fortune 500 and Government R&D labs. Prior, Glasscock worked in KPMG LLP's Financial Advisory Services on cash inventory management for regional banks, and in KPMG Digital Media Group specializing in ecommerce and wireless startups. Glasscock holds a B.S. in Accounting from The University of San Diego and served 5 years active duty in the US Navy.Craig Dalton, Director of Business Development, Proteus: Mr. Dalton has 10 years’ experience in sales and marketing management as well as extensive experience building profitable business strategies. As Proteus’ Director of Business Development, his responsibilities include formulating market strategies, developing and managing strategic relationships with partners and clients, and providing active management of ongoing sales opportunities. Mr. Dalton has been focused on the development of Proteus’ wireless and interactive television practices developing strategic partnerships and educating clients on how to harness the power of these emerging mediums. Prior to joining Proteus, Mr. Dalton was Sales and Marketing Manager for Open Learning Center, Inc. an outsourced division of the Santa Cruz Operation (SCO), a $170 million producer of Intel-based Unix operating systems. During his tenure at OLC, the company’s revenues increased 70% and numerous long term, profitable relationships were formed with Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Intel and Unisys. Mr. Dalton was also European Sales and Marketing Manager for Vetta Sports based in Switzerland. In that role he was responsible for managing European distribution and global athletic sponsorships. Mr. Dalton holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Irvine and a BSBA in Business Administration from The American University.
Bruce Gersh was named Vice President Business Development, ABC Entertainment Group, in February 2002. In this position, Mr. Gersh is responsible for all business development programs across ABC Daytime, Primetime, and Touchstone Television. Since joining ABC in 2000, Mr. Gersh has been involved in several groundbreaking business development initiatives in connection with the online and traditional business units of the ABC Network. Mr. Gersh developed the nation's first "premium-rate" Short Messaging Service campaign for ABC Daytime. Mr. Gersh also devised and manages, "Shop the Soaps" on ABC Daytime, which is considered to be the first fully integrated cross-media shopping program on network television. Finally, Mr. Gersh oversees several new business initiatives including, broadband, merchandise licensing, book publishing, music soundtracks, home video, e-commerce, and product placement. Before joining ABC, Mr. Gersh was a business development consultant for NBC Enterprises, where he identified and created new revenue generating programs. Mr. Gersh was instrumental in the creation and expansion of the NBC direct response business, which is measured as revolutionary in the network television world. Mr. Gersh began his career at Arthur Andersen, and was recently selected by the Hollywood Reporter in the Next Generation Issue, as one of the young executives poised to become an industry leader.
Marc Scarpa is a pioneer in directing and producing live interactive media. His broadcast works on the web with T.V. simulcasts have defined the "look" of ITV content today. With development of media communities as his focus, Scarpa is among the top progressive media architects of the 21st century. As founder of JumpCut, an advanced media services venture, he is an authoritative source for live broadcast programming over multiple distribution channels. Founded in 1996, Atlas Venture later backed the company in early 2000 along with prominent angel investors from Allen & Co, Wahrburg Pincus and Redwood Partners. The company sold its content acquisition assets to European media group Media Most in spring of 2001 and its online image syndication platform, imagedirect.com, to Getty images later that year. Scarpa has architected several "firsts" in the interactive programming genre. His personal directing credits include "The Townhall VoiceChat with President Clinton", "Woodstock '99", "The Lola Pandora Show" - a 10 city tour, "HSX/Excite Rocks the Oscars" featuring Beck; along with designing and building the first ever permanent multiplatform broadcast facility for Mayor’s Giuliani/Bloomberg of the City of New York. Simulcasts (web & TV) "The A&E Live By Request series", "Backstage at the Tony Awards" and award winning corporate events such as Lucent's Supercomm '99. Prior to JumpCut, Scarpa served as the New York Bureau Chief for C|NET television. He successfully produced or was involved with well over 100 television segments for C|NET programs "TV.COM", "The Web" and "C|NET Central". He was also integral to the development of C|NET's early video on demand deployment strategy and produced C|NET's first live webcast from the floor of the 1997 PC Expo. Scarpa also has served as the Co-Chair for the Mayor's Council on New Media in NYC with former Deputy Mayor Tony Coles and formerly served as an associate member of the International Council of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. He recently joined as a board member and NY committee chair for the Producers Guild of America new media council and is a Lifebeat, the music industry fights A.I.D.S., partner. He currently consults as an entrepreneur in residency for the Redwood Technology Fund while he continues to develop participatory TV content and HD music programming. As a visible leader in the Internet community, he is among a small group of individuals who truly has over 10 years of multidisciplinary experience in TV/Web mediums. This background is fully utilized with the creation of multiplatform content, as it requires knowledge of both television and Internet technology.