CALIFORNIA: Secure in its committment to produce and
distribute multi-platformed programming with extended demographic appeal, GRB Entertainment has named international broadcast sales executive Marielle Zuccarelli as its director of international sales. The company is looking to accelerate its global sales efforts.
In her new position, she will concentrate sales efforts throughout the Latin American and Scandinavian territories. GRB Entertainment's sales senior VP Gavin Reardon has been quoted in an official release as saying, "We are excited to have Marielle on board. She has had an extensive international career within this industry in both programme and print ad sales. It is that combined experience which gives her one up on the competition. She is one of the few who has inherent sales abilities and the honed talent to recognise emerging programming trends early on."
Most recently, Zuccarelli was director of distribution for Hypnotic, a division of Universal Studios, where she helped develop the international television distribution division for the company. She was charged with the management of sales, co-productions, negotiations and contracts for all European and Middle Eastern territories. While there, she developed relationships and later deals with major European channels in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, UK, Netherlands, Poland and Portugal.
Zuccarelli also initiated and negotiated co-productions in Italy and France and negotiated the launch of a Hypnotic video on demand channel in the Middle East. Prior to Hypnotic, Zuccarelli was vice president of international sales for Gotcha Entertainment (Feb. 2002 ­ June 2002). While there, she created and launched the international division of the Gagsters! property.
She oversaw the TV licensing, merchandising, publishing, web development and media relations' activities for the kid-market series. In addition, she developed a database and initiated relationships with key youth programming executives in over 50 countries. Due to her marketing savvy, Gagsters! is currently licensed through GRB states the release.
Before joining Gotcha, Zuccarelli was sales manager, USA for Cahners International Television Group (Aug. 2000 ­ Feb 2002) where she handled print ad sales for eight international broadcast trade publications.
GRB Entertainment claims to be one of the world?s leading producers and distributors of non fiction programmes. Founded in 1987 by Gary Benz, GRB Entertainment currently produces 75 hours per year of prime time programming for the US and international television markets.