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SCREENVISION EXPANDS ACTIVITY IN ALTERNATIVE CONTENT PROGRAMMING FOR THEATERS
New York - (Aug. 22, 2007)
Leading Cinema Advertising Company Launches New Division Headed by Programming Executive David Wengrod
Teams-Up with NY Mets for Unique In-Theater Offering
To help movie exhibitors attract new audiences
and expand profitability during off-peak hours, Screenvision, the global leader in cinema
advertising, is expanding its focus on alternative programming offerings and today
announced the launch of a new division tasked to champion such activities.
Screenvision’s expanded alternative content business, dubbed Screenvision
Programming Services, will target vertical audiences with compelling programming
exhibited in movie theaters nationwide. Most programming will be developed with the
intent of helping theatre owners increase ticket sales during non-core movie-going hours,
such as weekend mornings and late-night evenings.
In recent years, Screenvision has shepherded numerous alternative content activities on
behalf of its exhibitor partners, including kids programming, anime, religious
programming and contemporary music concerts. This marks the first time the company
has formalized the activity as a unique operating department within Screenvision.
“Alternative programming is increasingly important to our exhibitor partners and
Screenvision is committed to being of service to them in this area,” said Matthew
Kearney, president and CEO of Screenvision. “We have a wealth of internal expertise
and research on the practice, a robust digital distribution footprint, and we have now put
in place a formal operating structure and staffing strategy to increase activity in the
area.”
Screenvision Programming Services will be headed by David Wengrod, vice president
of alternative content programming for Screenvision. Prior to Screenvision, Wengrod
held programming positions with such companies as Rainbow Media/American Movie
Classics, Cablevision, and iN DEMAND. Most recently, Wengrod was vice president of
business development and programming for Moe Greene Entertainment. Wengrod will
report to Darryl Schaffer, executive vice president, exhibitor relations, for Screenvision.
“David brings a wealth of program acquisition and development experience to
Screenvision,” said Schaffer. “This is a narrow field, at this point in time, and David is
one of the few people in the industry with a track-record of successful in-theatre
alternative content executions.”
Screenvision has also announced a new partnership with the New York Mets, under
which Screenvision will host “METS AT THE MOVIES” at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New
York City on August 29th. The activity is a joint initiative developed by Screenvision in
collaboration with Clearview Cinemas, SNY and the New York Mets organization.
Fans attending “METS AT THE MOVIES will watch the 7:05 p.m. road game against
the Philadelphia Phillies on the Ziegfeld’s 50 foot x 23 foot viewing screen. Attendees
will follow the super-sized action from the Ziegfeld’s classically-styled, 1131-seat theatre
and participate in traditional Shea Stadium in-game activities including t-shirt launches
and sing-alongs throughout the evening. All attendees will receive two tickets to a
September home game against the Atlanta Braves as well as SNY trading cards and a gift
from Screenvision.
“We’re thrilled about our partnership with the Mets and we hope it will become a longstanding
tradition for Mets fans across the New York metropolitan area,” added Kearney.
ABOUT SCREENVISION
Headquartered in New York, N.Y., Screenvision is the world's foremost cinema
advertising company, offering on-screen advertising, in-lobby promotions and integrated
marketing programs to national, regional and local advertisers and providing
comprehensive cinema advertising representation services for its theatrical exhibitor
partners. In the U.S., the Screenvision cinema advertising network is comprised of nearly
15,500 screens in over 2,400 theatre locations across all 50 States and 91% of DMAs
nationwide, and delivers more than 600 million consumer impressions annually through
160 theatrical circuits, including 13 of the top 15 exhibition companies. Screenvision is a
joint venture between ITV plc (LSE: ITV), the UK’s largest commercial television
network, and Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS), a global supplier of
technology, services, and systems to the media and entertainment industries. For more
information: http://www.screenvision.com.>/p>