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Jonathan Powell has been hired as the MPA’s senior vice president for strategic communications.
Powell will shape “the organization’s messaging to local, national, and regional stakeholders around the world,” the MPA said. In the newly created position, he will report to Charles Rivkin, MPA chairman and CEO, and the executive vice president of media relations and communications. Emily Lenzner, who has been in the latter role since 2019, is departing and the MPA has posted her position.
Powell previously worked at the State Department, where he served under then-Secretary of State John Kerry and most recently as a senior advisor to deputy secretaries Wendy Sherman, Richard Verma and Victoria Nuland. He previously was an adviser to other public officials including Nancy Pelosi, as well as Alejandro Mayorkas, Penny Pritzker, Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa.
Rivkin said in a statement that Powell’s “global policy expertise and his gift for...
Powell will shape “the organization’s messaging to local, national, and regional stakeholders around the world,” the MPA said. In the newly created position, he will report to Charles Rivkin, MPA chairman and CEO, and the executive vice president of media relations and communications. Emily Lenzner, who has been in the latter role since 2019, is departing and the MPA has posted her position.
Powell previously worked at the State Department, where he served under then-Secretary of State John Kerry and most recently as a senior advisor to deputy secretaries Wendy Sherman, Richard Verma and Victoria Nuland. He previously was an adviser to other public officials including Nancy Pelosi, as well as Alejandro Mayorkas, Penny Pritzker, Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa.
Rivkin said in a statement that Powell’s “global policy expertise and his gift for...
- 2/13/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2RlYzk3ZmUtNTFiMy00ZDFlLWFlMzMtOGZjNGQxN2MyMmYwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Tom Zigo has been promoted to vice president of communications and public affairs at the MPA.
Zigo, who joined the MPA three years ago, will now report to Emily Lenzner, executive vice president of communications and public affairs, and Greg Saphier, senior vice president of external affairs. He’ll be taking on an expanded role as the organization integrates the communications and government affairs teams.
“This new structure will help Tom continue to build on his impressive work across the organization – including with Cara, DE&I and External Affairs, Research, and Federal and State Government Affairs,” Lenzner and Saphier wrote in a memo to staff on Wednesday.
Zigo previously worked for Precision Strategies and Rubenstein Communications.
The complete memo is below:
It is our great pleasure to announce the promotion of Tom Zigo to Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs.
As part of his expanded role and to further integrate...
Zigo, who joined the MPA three years ago, will now report to Emily Lenzner, executive vice president of communications and public affairs, and Greg Saphier, senior vice president of external affairs. He’ll be taking on an expanded role as the organization integrates the communications and government affairs teams.
“This new structure will help Tom continue to build on his impressive work across the organization – including with Cara, DE&I and External Affairs, Research, and Federal and State Government Affairs,” Lenzner and Saphier wrote in a memo to staff on Wednesday.
Zigo previously worked for Precision Strategies and Rubenstein Communications.
The complete memo is below:
It is our great pleasure to announce the promotion of Tom Zigo to Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs.
As part of his expanded role and to further integrate...
- 5/25/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTE5MGU2NjgtZTc5Ny00ZmIwLTlkOGEtZjAxMmUzNzZmMjMwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
The Motion Picture Association has hired public relations veteran John Mercurio as senior vice president of corporate communications.
Mercurio will report to and serve as a deputy to Emily Lenzner, executive VP of global communications and public affairs. He will have joint oversight of the trade group’s global communications, media relations, digital media and events practices. Mercurio will join the association on Sept. 28 and be based in its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Mercurio most recently served as global chief communications officer for the Bitfury Group and the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications. Before joining Bitfury, he served in senior strategic roles at Purple Strategies and Burson-Marsteller.
“The Motion Picture Association is at the forefront of this pivotal moment for the film and television industry,” Mercurio said. “I look forward to working with the MPA team and our iconic members to advance our advocacy goals on behalf of all storytellers around the world.
Mercurio will report to and serve as a deputy to Emily Lenzner, executive VP of global communications and public affairs. He will have joint oversight of the trade group’s global communications, media relations, digital media and events practices. Mercurio will join the association on Sept. 28 and be based in its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Mercurio most recently served as global chief communications officer for the Bitfury Group and the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications. Before joining Bitfury, he served in senior strategic roles at Purple Strategies and Burson-Marsteller.
“The Motion Picture Association is at the forefront of this pivotal moment for the film and television industry,” Mercurio said. “I look forward to working with the MPA team and our iconic members to advance our advocacy goals on behalf of all storytellers around the world.
- 9/9/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
![Image](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjk1YzZkMmUtNjc4Mi00YzAwLWFmNDQtZDAwNDk0YzZhOTgxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
John Mercurio is joining the Motion Picture Association as its senior vice president of corporate communications.
He’ll have joint oversight of global communications, digital media and events practices, and he will manage media relations, including advocacy communications and rapid response. He will report to Emily Lenzner, exec VP of global communications and public affairs, and also serve as her deputy. He starts on Sept. 28.
“The Motion Picture Association is at the forefront of this pivotal moment for the film and television industry,” Mercurio said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the MPA team and our iconic members to advance our advocacy goals on behalf of all storytellers around the world.”
Chris Ortman departed the MPA last month as senior VP of communications.
Mercurio most recently was global chief communications officer for the Bitfury Group, a blockchain and AI software company, and the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications.
He’ll have joint oversight of global communications, digital media and events practices, and he will manage media relations, including advocacy communications and rapid response. He will report to Emily Lenzner, exec VP of global communications and public affairs, and also serve as her deputy. He starts on Sept. 28.
“The Motion Picture Association is at the forefront of this pivotal moment for the film and television industry,” Mercurio said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the MPA team and our iconic members to advance our advocacy goals on behalf of all storytellers around the world.”
Chris Ortman departed the MPA last month as senior VP of communications.
Mercurio most recently was global chief communications officer for the Bitfury Group, a blockchain and AI software company, and the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications.
- 9/9/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Steven Fabrizio, general counsel for the Motion Picture Association of America, was fired on Monday after being arrested in Washington, D.C. following accusations of sexual assault and blackmail.
“This is to inform you that Steve Fabrizio’s employment with the MPAA has ended for violating certain terms of employment,” MPAA chairman-ceo Charles Rivkin told organization’s board in an email Monday morning. “I’ve asked Daniel Robbins to be interim general counsel as we embark on a search for a permanent replacement.”
“These charges, if true, are both shocking and intolerable to the Association,” an MPAA spokesperson said in a statement provided to TheWrap. “We had no prior knowledge of this behavior before these charges were publicly filed.”
Also Read: MPAA Names Former Atlantic Media Svp Emily Lenzner as Communications Chief
Fabrizio, who had worked for the MPAA since 2013, was arrested Friday night and charged on Saturday with secondary sexual abuse and blackmail,...
“This is to inform you that Steve Fabrizio’s employment with the MPAA has ended for violating certain terms of employment,” MPAA chairman-ceo Charles Rivkin told organization’s board in an email Monday morning. “I’ve asked Daniel Robbins to be interim general counsel as we embark on a search for a permanent replacement.”
“These charges, if true, are both shocking and intolerable to the Association,” an MPAA spokesperson said in a statement provided to TheWrap. “We had no prior knowledge of this behavior before these charges were publicly filed.”
Also Read: MPAA Names Former Atlantic Media Svp Emily Lenzner as Communications Chief
Fabrizio, who had worked for the MPAA since 2013, was arrested Friday night and charged on Saturday with secondary sexual abuse and blackmail,...
- 8/27/2019
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has appointed Emily Lenzner as executive vice president for global communications and public affairs, MPAA chairman and CEO Charles H. Rivkin announced Wednesday.
Lenzner will report to Rivkin and oversee the trade association’s communications team in the U.S. and internationally. She will join the MPAA on Aug. 1 and will be based at the organization’s global headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Most recently, Lenzner was the senior vice president of global communications and external relations at Atlantic Media. There, she led communications strategy for all of its divisions, including The Atlantic, Quartz, National Journal Group, and Government Executive Media Group and its subsidiaries. She managed the communications rollout of the sales of The Atlantic and Quartz in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Also Read: Netflix Joins Motion Picture Association of America
“Emily is one of the leading communications strategists in the media industry,” Rivkin said in a statement.
Lenzner will report to Rivkin and oversee the trade association’s communications team in the U.S. and internationally. She will join the MPAA on Aug. 1 and will be based at the organization’s global headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Most recently, Lenzner was the senior vice president of global communications and external relations at Atlantic Media. There, she led communications strategy for all of its divisions, including The Atlantic, Quartz, National Journal Group, and Government Executive Media Group and its subsidiaries. She managed the communications rollout of the sales of The Atlantic and Quartz in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Also Read: Netflix Joins Motion Picture Association of America
“Emily is one of the leading communications strategists in the media industry,” Rivkin said in a statement.
- 7/17/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The Motion Picture Association of America has appointed veteran public relations executive Emily Lenzner as its executive VP of global communications and public affairs.
She will report to Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin and oversee the trade group’s communications team in the U.S. and internationally. Lenzner will start Aug. 1 and be based at the MPAA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
She succeeds Matt Bennett, who was recently named VP and Chief Communications Officer at American University. Lenzner headed communications for Atlantic Media and was a managing director for public affairs at SKDKnickerbocker and the executive director of communications for ABC News in Washington. She managed PR for “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and “Nightline.” Early in her career, Lenzner worked in film production and development for Diane Keaton’s production company and was a local news producer in Seattle after serving in the Clinton White House as...
She will report to Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin and oversee the trade group’s communications team in the U.S. and internationally. Lenzner will start Aug. 1 and be based at the MPAA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
She succeeds Matt Bennett, who was recently named VP and Chief Communications Officer at American University. Lenzner headed communications for Atlantic Media and was a managing director for public affairs at SKDKnickerbocker and the executive director of communications for ABC News in Washington. She managed PR for “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and “Nightline.” Early in her career, Lenzner worked in film production and development for Diane Keaton’s production company and was a local news producer in Seattle after serving in the Clinton White House as...
- 7/17/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The Motion Picture Association of America has appointed Emily Lenzner as Evp for Global Communications and Public Affairs.
She will report to MPAA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin and oversee the trade group’s communications team in the U.S. and internationally.
Lenzner will start August 1 and be based at the MPAA’s global headquarters in Washington, D.C.
She succeeds Matt Bennett, who was recently named VP and Chief Communications Officer at American University.
Previously, Lenzner headed communications for Atlantic Media and was a managing director for public affairs at SKDKnickerbocker and the executive director of communications for ABC News in Washington. At ABC, she managed PR for This Week with George Stephanopoulos and Nightline and the network’s political coverage. Early in her career, Lenzner worked in film production and development for Diane Keaton’s production company and was a local news producer in Seattle. In the Clinton...
She will report to MPAA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin and oversee the trade group’s communications team in the U.S. and internationally.
Lenzner will start August 1 and be based at the MPAA’s global headquarters in Washington, D.C.
She succeeds Matt Bennett, who was recently named VP and Chief Communications Officer at American University.
Previously, Lenzner headed communications for Atlantic Media and was a managing director for public affairs at SKDKnickerbocker and the executive director of communications for ABC News in Washington. At ABC, she managed PR for This Week with George Stephanopoulos and Nightline and the network’s political coverage. Early in her career, Lenzner worked in film production and development for Diane Keaton’s production company and was a local news producer in Seattle. In the Clinton...
- 7/17/2019
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Emily Lenzner is joining the Motion Picture Association of America as executive vp global communications and public affairs.
Reporting to MPAA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, Lenzner was most recently senior vp global communications and external relations at Atlantic Media, a publishing group, and before that an executive director of communications for ABC News in Washington, D.C., managing communications for series like This Week With George Stephanopoulos and Nightline.
Early in her career, Lenzner worked in film production and development for Diane Keaton’s production company and was a local news producer in Seattle after serving in the Clinton White ...
Reporting to MPAA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, Lenzner was most recently senior vp global communications and external relations at Atlantic Media, a publishing group, and before that an executive director of communications for ABC News in Washington, D.C., managing communications for series like This Week With George Stephanopoulos and Nightline.
Early in her career, Lenzner worked in film production and development for Diane Keaton’s production company and was a local news producer in Seattle after serving in the Clinton White ...
- 7/17/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Emily Lenzner is joining the Motion Picture Association of America as executive vp global communications and public affairs.
Reporting to MPAA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, Lenzner was most recently senior vp global communications and external relations at Atlantic Media, a publishing group, and before that an executive director of communications for ABC News in Washington, D.C., managing communications for series like This Week With George Stephanopoulos and Nightline.
Early in her career, Lenzner worked in film production and development for Diane Keaton’s production company and was a local news producer in Seattle after serving in the Clinton White ...
Reporting to MPAA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, Lenzner was most recently senior vp global communications and external relations at Atlantic Media, a publishing group, and before that an executive director of communications for ABC News in Washington, D.C., managing communications for series like This Week With George Stephanopoulos and Nightline.
Early in her career, Lenzner worked in film production and development for Diane Keaton’s production company and was a local news producer in Seattle after serving in the Clinton White ...
- 7/17/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
![Barack Obama](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTA3OTE5Nzg5MjdeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU3MDk3NzI3ODE@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR14,0,140,207_.jpg)
![Barack Obama](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTA3OTE5Nzg5MjdeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU3MDk3NzI3ODE@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR14,0,140,207_.jpg)
New York -- Barack Obama's decision to accept the Democratic nomination at a Denver football stadium instead of a convention center throws a wrench into the networks' coverage plans.
No network has finalized its plans for covering the Democratic National Convention in August or the Gop's event in early September in St. Paul, Minn. But the networks have budgeted millions of dollars, from transporting anchors and staff both cities to the costs of cameras and cables and dozens of other line items. The decision, announced Monday, to move Obama's acceptance speech from the 19,000-seat Pepsi Center to the 76,000-seat Invesco Field has upended what the networks had thought was the plan with less than two months to go.
"It's going to cost us all more than we budgeted, and we'll have to figure out how to handle it," CBS News senior vp Paul Friedman said.
Early steps were made Monday, when the networks had a conference call to decide what to do. Fox News Channel previously had been selected to handle the pool coverage, and that won't change. Marty Ryan, executive producer of political coverage at Fox News, said some resources originally earmarked for the venue over four days will move to Invesco for the convention's final day.
"It's just a question of how big in each place," Ryan said. "That we're still resolving."
But what's certain is that the networks will have to spend millions more in total to cover the Democratic convention, and they already are over budget.
Covering the political conventions has grown less important to the broadcast networks, which no longer provide the gavel-to-gavel coverage they did years ago. That's been supplanted mostly by cable coverage, with ABC, CBS and NBC devoting about an hour a night Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the nominee's acceptance speech Thursday. The networks say the conventions are, for the most part, not news. There isn't a lot of suspense with the nominations locked up long ago.
"Certainly for the networks, it's going to raise the issue as to whether we really need to do Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday," Friedman said. "It's the kind of is?sue we've all danced around: How much convention coverage is necessary when there are no news developments?"
That doesn't mean that there won't be any coverage or even a major cut on the broadcast nets. Nothing's been decided, though the feeling before Monday was that the nets would have an hour a night with their anchors there all four days. Each network will have access to the pool coverage and, for instance, could cover key speeches not with their anchors on site but from the desk in New York. With the cost of building a set at the Pepsi Center about $600,000 and faced with the prospect of building another set at Invesco, it may not be the best choice for the broadcast networks to build two sets.
"The change in the schedule and venue have called into question our planning so far," ABC News spokeswoman Emily Lenzner said. "And because of the change in circumstances we're now taking a fresh look at everything, which takes time and more planning."
Said CBS News' Friedman: "Any news operation that didn't look at it hard would be irresponsible." But he said there would be no doubt that the networks would be there in force for Obama's speech, whether it was held indoors or out.
"That's going to be an historic night," Friedman said. "It's going to be worth covering, and you want your anchor there."
Fox News and MSNBC were planning to center their shows and coverage outside of the arena as it was; CNN Washington bureau chief David Bohrman said his network will be well served by its election bus that has traveled the country during the primary season and has four high-definition cameras aboard.
"All we're going to need to do is get our bus two miles away from Pepsi to Invesco," he said.
So far there are no changes to the Republican National Convention, which will be held Sept. 1-5, beginning three days after the Democratic convention ends. The cost of the coverage of that convention apparently is coming in under budget, but for fairness reasons, if the coverage of the Democrats is altered then it's likely that the broadcast nets will do the same for the Republicans.
"That's the next set of questions," one exec said. "We're all going to be sensitive to that."
Brooks Boliek in Washington contributed to this report.
No network has finalized its plans for covering the Democratic National Convention in August or the Gop's event in early September in St. Paul, Minn. But the networks have budgeted millions of dollars, from transporting anchors and staff both cities to the costs of cameras and cables and dozens of other line items. The decision, announced Monday, to move Obama's acceptance speech from the 19,000-seat Pepsi Center to the 76,000-seat Invesco Field has upended what the networks had thought was the plan with less than two months to go.
"It's going to cost us all more than we budgeted, and we'll have to figure out how to handle it," CBS News senior vp Paul Friedman said.
Early steps were made Monday, when the networks had a conference call to decide what to do. Fox News Channel previously had been selected to handle the pool coverage, and that won't change. Marty Ryan, executive producer of political coverage at Fox News, said some resources originally earmarked for the venue over four days will move to Invesco for the convention's final day.
"It's just a question of how big in each place," Ryan said. "That we're still resolving."
But what's certain is that the networks will have to spend millions more in total to cover the Democratic convention, and they already are over budget.
Covering the political conventions has grown less important to the broadcast networks, which no longer provide the gavel-to-gavel coverage they did years ago. That's been supplanted mostly by cable coverage, with ABC, CBS and NBC devoting about an hour a night Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the nominee's acceptance speech Thursday. The networks say the conventions are, for the most part, not news. There isn't a lot of suspense with the nominations locked up long ago.
"Certainly for the networks, it's going to raise the issue as to whether we really need to do Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday," Friedman said. "It's the kind of is?sue we've all danced around: How much convention coverage is necessary when there are no news developments?"
That doesn't mean that there won't be any coverage or even a major cut on the broadcast nets. Nothing's been decided, though the feeling before Monday was that the nets would have an hour a night with their anchors there all four days. Each network will have access to the pool coverage and, for instance, could cover key speeches not with their anchors on site but from the desk in New York. With the cost of building a set at the Pepsi Center about $600,000 and faced with the prospect of building another set at Invesco, it may not be the best choice for the broadcast networks to build two sets.
"The change in the schedule and venue have called into question our planning so far," ABC News spokeswoman Emily Lenzner said. "And because of the change in circumstances we're now taking a fresh look at everything, which takes time and more planning."
Said CBS News' Friedman: "Any news operation that didn't look at it hard would be irresponsible." But he said there would be no doubt that the networks would be there in force for Obama's speech, whether it was held indoors or out.
"That's going to be an historic night," Friedman said. "It's going to be worth covering, and you want your anchor there."
Fox News and MSNBC were planning to center their shows and coverage outside of the arena as it was; CNN Washington bureau chief David Bohrman said his network will be well served by its election bus that has traveled the country during the primary season and has four high-definition cameras aboard.
"All we're going to need to do is get our bus two miles away from Pepsi to Invesco," he said.
So far there are no changes to the Republican National Convention, which will be held Sept. 1-5, beginning three days after the Democratic convention ends. The cost of the coverage of that convention apparently is coming in under budget, but for fairness reasons, if the coverage of the Democrats is altered then it's likely that the broadcast nets will do the same for the Republicans.
"That's the next set of questions," one exec said. "We're all going to be sensitive to that."
Brooks Boliek in Washington contributed to this report.
- 7/8/2008
- by By Paul J. Gough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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