Nielsen Business Media Establishes Entertainment Group Combining Its Leading
Brands in the Film, TV, Music, Theatre and Literary Industries
Media Industry Veteran Gerry Byrne Appointed to Lead New Entertainment
Division
NEW YORK, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen Business Media today announced
the creation of a new Entertainment Group that brings together the company's
leading entertainment brands into one powerhouse unit. Award-winning media
industry veteran Gerry Byrne, who has been named Senior Vice President,
Entertainment Group for Nielsen Business Media, will lead the new division
beginning March 1st. Byrne will be based in New York and will report to Greg
Farrar, President of Nielsen Business Media, who made today's announcement.
Previously, the company's entertainment properties existed under two
separate market groups -- Film & Performing Arts and Music & Literary. The
creation of the Entertainment Group is another step in Nielsen Business
Media's integration strategy. It allows the company to take a more
comprehensive approach to serving the entertainment industry and more
effectively harness the resources of its entertainment brands. The new
division sets in place a more unified editorial approach across entertainment
properties to provide audiences with the most inclusive, in-depth access to
news, data, analysis and insights on every aspect of the industry. In
addition, the comprehensive strategy offers advertisers in the film,
television, music, theatre and literary industries enhanced, integrated
opportunities to connect with their target customers across all of Nielsen's
entertainment media platforms.
John Kilcullen, who has served as Senior Vice President of the company's
Film & Performing Arts and Music & Literary groups since October 2006, will
leave the company at the beginning of March to pursue his passion as an
entrepreneur. In his five years with the company, Kilcullen has been
instrumental in the strategic growth and development of Billboard. During his
tenure as President and Publisher of Billboard since 2003, the brand has
enjoyed record growth. John also successfully built strong senior leadership
teams at The Hollywood Reporter, Back Stage, The Bookseller and Kirkus
Reviews.
"Over the past several years, the entertainment industry has changed,"
said Farrar. "It no longer operates in a segmented way, but approaches the
business as a whole regardless of the platform or medium. To be successful,
our ability to evolve with the industry and meet the needs of our audiences is
critical. That means having a unified go-to-market strategy for our
entertainment assets domestically and internationally. The Entertainment Group
allows us to better serve our clients, be more nimble and responsive in the
marketplace and heighten our competitive advantage."
Farrar continued, "Gerry has led such a distinguished career and has
already been a key member of our team. His outstanding accomplishments have
made a tremendous impact on the media and publishing industries and we are
fortunate to have Gerry lead this new division. I'm also extremely thankful to
John, an entrepreneur whose mission was to put in place a strong foundation to
grow these brands. As John moves on to his next challenge, I'm confident that
Gerry will help further our position at Nielsen Business Media as a leader in
entertainment, while defining the very future of our business."
"Forming a single entertainment unit and strategic vision allows us to
maximize our efforts across all platforms. It provides us with broader and
more cohesive insight into what our clients need and helps us to better
coordinate our approach toward the growing market and revenue opportunities,"
said Byrne. "Going forward, our entertainment brands will work much more
closely together to pursue new opportunities across the division and
throughout The Nielsen Company. I'm looking forward to working with Greg and
the team to strategically meet the challenges and seize the opportunities that
await us with creativity and innovation."
Byrne has served as an advisor to Nielsen Business Media since January
2007. In his new role, he has responsibility for the global entertainment,
music and literary publishing enterprises across digital, print and
face-to-face platforms. Brands in the portfolio include Billboard, The
Hollywood Reporter, Back Stage, Kirkus Reviews, The Bookseller, Film Journal
International, and the film industry expositions ShoWest, ShowEast, Cinema
Expo International and CineAsia Exposition. Byrne will drive the strategic
direction of the group and guide the brand leaders to create integrated
opportunities and use data assets exclusive to Nielsen to engage audiences and
clients.
A long-time industry veteran, Byrne founded Gerry Byrne Media Partners
LLC, a full service media and marketing consultancy to the entertainment,
communications and media industries, in 2003. Clients have included Tribeca
Enterprises, Parade Magazine, Reed Business Information, Washington Life
Magazine, Recognition Media, and Velocity Services Inc. Prior to that, Byrne
was President and Chief Executive Officer and partner of Stagebill Media.
Before Stagebill, Byrne served as Group Vice President and Publisher of
Variety and Daily Variety and led the launch of Daily Variety's "Gotham
Edition" in March 1998. The Variety/Schroder "Big Picture" Conference, The
Variety Leadership Forum, Variety.com, and Variety Book Publishing were also a
part of his executive responsibilities. Byrne joined Variety from Norman
Lear's ACT III Publishing, where he was Senior Vice President of Planning and
International Development. Prior to Act III, while at Crain Communications,
Mr. Byrne was the start-up publisher of both Electronic Media (now Television
Week) and Crain's New York Business. At Advertising Age, also a Crain
property, Byrne held positions first as the International Sales Director then
as New York Sales Director. His career in publishing began at The New York
Daily News.
Byrne is on the boards of several organizations including The Museum of
the Moving Image and Fisher Houses. He was awarded the "Salah M. Hassanein
Humanitarian Award" at ShowEast '96 for his community involvements. New York's
Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center's 2002 Distinguished Service Award was
presented to Byrne for his business leadership and for his support of causes
that benefit humanity. Additionally, the NYPD Marine Corps Association awarded
him with its 2002 "Semper Fi" Award for his work in the community. Byrne is
also a member of The Media Council of The Paley Center, the Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences, The British Academy of Film & Television Arts, and
is Vice Chairman of The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.
In addition, as Chairman and Founder of the Quills Literacy Foundation and
Executive Chairman of de Plumen LLC, Byrne led the 2005 launch of "The
Quills", a consumer-driven book awards program broadcast on the NBC/Universal
Stations.
A native New Yorker and graduate of Fordham College, Byrne served as a
United States Marine Corps Officer in Vietnam and was awarded the Combat
Action Ribbon and the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat V.
About Nielsen Business Media
Nielsen Business Media, a part of The Nielsen Company, is a leading
market-focused provider of integrated information and sales and marketing
solutions, helping businesses go to market more effectively and efficiently.
Serving more than 30 industries spanning entertainment, media and marketing,
retail, travel and performance, and design, Nielsen Business Media provides
business-to-business products and services in print, online and face-to-face.
With 42 publications, over 135 trade shows and conferences, and 195 digital
products and services, Nielsen Business Media offers insight, analysis and
face-to-face contacts to help professionals better understand their markets,
serve their customers and grow their businesses.
About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading
market positions in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information
(Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and BuzzMetrics),
trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter,
Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with
headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more
information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.
SOURCE The Nielsen Company
Marisa Grimes of The Nielsen Company, +1-646-654-5759,
marisa.grimes@nielsen.com
