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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CINEMA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP ENLISTS INDUSTRY ELITE TO ITS ADVISORY BOARD FOR INTERACTIVE TV CHANNEL LOS ANGELES, APRIL 3, 2001 – Elizabeth B. Bruce, Gareth C.C. Chang and A. Robert Pisano are among the first prominent industry leaders to reside on the Advisory Board for Cinema Entertainment Group’s (CEG) new interactive television venture. The announcement was made today by James J. Meyers, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of CEG. Additional members will be announced in the near future. CEG’s Advisory Board consists of professionals from broadcast, motion pictures, digital media and high technology industries. “CEG is honored to have gathered behind our interactive television channel such an influential team of advisors,” said Meyers. “The contributions of our advisors are significant in CEG’s continued progress.” CEG plans to launch its channel later this year.
CEG
ADVISORY BOARD Elizabeth B. Bruce’s experience in entertainment spans more than 20 years in new business and brand development, consumer marketing, new product launches, cable and video distribution, strategic partnerships and entertainment licensee acquisition. In the early 1990s, Bruce was recruited as President for the $85M revenue division of Time-Life Video and TV, which produces and licenses programming for its domestic and international direct marketing video channels. Her many significant achievements in the industry include the launch of new operating divisions and products for HBO, Time-Life and Hallmark-Henson. Bruce has held various senior executive posts with Crown Media. She served as general manager of the Kermit Channel and her most recent role was senior vice president, strategic programming and research for the Odyssey Network. Gareth C.C. Chang has more than three decades of experience having developed international businesses in high technology, ranging from aerospace and telecommunications to digital technology and multi-media content creation for Internet and television broadcast. Chang is currently the managing partner of GC3 and Associates International LLC, a private investment and consulting company. He is also the executive chairman of Click2Asia.com and chairman/chief executive officer (CEO) of PingPong.com, two Internet ventures dedicated to the Asian culture. Chang was formally chairman and chief executive of STAR TV Group, a multi-channel satellite television network that reaches more than 300 million viewers across Asia, the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East in seven languages. Chang was also an executive director of News Corporation Board of Directors and a member of the executive committee. Before joining STAR TV in 1998, Chang was corporate senior vice president of Hughes Electronics Corporation, and president of Hughes Electronics International, responsible for worldwide operations in Europe, Middle East, Latin America and Asia/Pacific. In addition, Mr. Chang was president of DirecTV International, executive chairman of DIRECTV Japan and chairman of Hughes-JVC Technology. A Robert Pisano, a 30-year veteran of the entertainment industry in business and legal practice, is currently a private investor/entrepreneur. Prior to his resignation in 1999, Pisano served as Vice Chairman of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with the duties and responsibilities of chief operating officer, in charge of all business activities and operations. He ushered MGM through its private ownership by a French-owned bank to its management-led buyout, and ultimately to its IPO. During his tenure, Pisano oversaw the acquisition of Orion Pictures and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, thereby creating the world’s largest (4,100 titles) and most honored (205 Academy Awards) film library. Prior to joining MGM, Mr. Pisano was Executive Vice President of Paramount Pictures, serving as general counsel and a member of the Office of the Chairman. He was responsible for all legal, legislative and regulatory affairs and business development. In addition, Pisano was a member of the Operating Committees of various Paramount joint ventures, including those in international theatrical, video and pay television. Pisano was a partner of the law firm O’Melveny & Myers, where he specialized in business litigation and entertainment matters. Cinema Entertainment Group (CEG) is an entertainment company that is launching a new interactive television channel especially suited for delivery via upgraded Pay TV platforms. CEG’s strategic partners include New Line Cinema, Microsoft Corporation and Liberate Technologies. The company’s new channel is designed to honor film and celebrate cinema, while capitalizing on new and advanced technologies to deliver interactive shopping services to subscribers. Inspired by an anticipation of the future of television technology and television viewing, CEG is working to launch one of the industry’s first services to change the traditional model for subscription and cable television networks. CEG was formed by partners who have more than four decades combined experience in launching television networks, interactive services and platforms worldwide. CONTACT: Patricia Firth |
