INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY EXPANDS ITS AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Brian Seth Hurst, CEO of The Opportunity Management Company appointed Global Digital Ambassador
Tarif Sayed, Owner and Managing Director of Dubai-based The FRAME appointed Ambassador to The United Arab Emirates
New York, May 26, 2009 – The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today the addition of Brian Seth Hurst, CEO of The Opportunity Management Company and Tarif Sayed, Owner and Managing Director of Dubai based production company The FRAME to its Ambassador program, bringing the total of Ambassadors to fifteen. (A list of Academy Ambassadors follows this release.)
“Part of The International Academy’s strength lies in its membership, and we are confident that Brian and Tarif will further expand our international outreach in their respective industries and regions,” said Academy President & CEO Bruce Paisner. “We look forward to having them join the distinguished group of Ambassadors already representing us throughout the world.”
Launched in 2007, the program has successfully increased the profile of The International Academy’s activities on a local level, while engaging producers and broadcasters in Academy events and stimulating entries into The International Emmy® Awards competition.
A well regarded authority on the subject of emerging entertainment, Hurst becomes the Academy’s first industry Ambassador, focusing on digital initiatives throughout the world. Hurst has been involved with The International Academy for several years and has been instrumental in shaping The International Digital Emmy® Awards competition, now in its fifth year.
An established documentary producer, Sayed becomes the first Ambassador to The United Arab Emirates which includes growing media hubs Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He has been active with The Academy as a Juror, Member and Semi-Final Regional Host.
Brian Seth Hurst, CEO, The Opportunity Management Company
Brian Seth Hurst is CEO of The Opportunity Management Company, a strategic consultancy and cross media production company that is driving the next generation of entertainment. Referred to as “the father of cross platform”, Hurst coined the term in 1998 as MD of Convergent Media at Pittard Sullivan, where he launched TV Guide as the first ever cross platform brand.
A well regarded authority on the subject of emerging entertainment, Hurst is a regular panelist and key note speaker at conferences including AFI’s Digital Content Lab, NATPE, NAB, CES, Digital Hollywood and MIPTV. He also has addressed private broadcaster gatherings in South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom briefing them as to trends in new technologies, alternative distribution and audience behavior. Hurst is also Second Vice Chair of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Tarif Sayed, Owner and Managing Director, The FRAME
Tarif Sayed has a reputable name as an executive producer-director particularly in documentary films. He is the owner and Managing Director of The FRAME, a leading production and post production film and media company based in United Arab Emirates and specialized in the production of documentaries, reality shows and formats. The FRAME’s clients include leading regional and international broadcasters such as Discovery Channel, Al Jazeera Channel, Dubai TV and Arte.
The 2009 International Academy Ambassadors:
Argentina: Sebastian Darcyl, President, Telefilms
Australia: Gai Dunlop, CEO, Festcom
Cyprus: Andy Hadjicostis, Managing Director, Sigma Television
France: Steven Bawol, Managing Director, Helion Pictures
Germany: Leopold Hoesch, Managing Director, BROADVIEW TV GmbH
Ghana: Talal Fattal, CEO, Metro TV
Hungary: Gabor Banyai, Producer, Interaktiv Ltd.
Israel: Gabriel Rosenberg, Group President and CEO, Jerusalem Capital Studios Ltd.
Mexico: Alejandra Leon de la Barra, Founder & CEO, ALB Comunicacion y Relaciones Publicas Norway: Hans Rossiné, Programsjef/Head of Drama, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
Russia: Alexander Shustorovich, President, Fashion TV Russia, LTD.
South Africa: Roberta Durrant, CEO, Penguin Films
United Arab Emirates: Tarif Sayed, Managing Director, The FRAME
Venezuela: Jose Escalante; CEO/President & GM, Dori Media America, Inc./Dori Media Dist. GmbH
Global Digital Ambassador: Brian Seth Hurst; CEO, The Opportunity Management Company.
About The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a membership based organization comprised of leading media and entertainment figures from over 50 countries and 500 companies from all sectors of television including internet, mobile and technology. The Academy’s yearly schedule of events includes the prestigious International Emmy® Awards Ceremony held in New York, The International Digital Emmy® Awards at MIPTV and a series of industry events such as Academy Day, The International Emmy® World Television Festival and Panels on substantive industry topics. The Academy was chartered with a mission to recognize excellence in television produced outside of the United States and it presents The International Emmy® Awards in the following fifteen categories: Arts Programming; Best Performance by an Actress; Best Performance by an Actor; Current Affairs; Children & Young People; Comedy; Digital Program: Children & Young People; Digital Program: Fiction; Digital Program: Non-Fiction; Documentary; Drama Series; News; Non-Scripted Entertainment; Telenovela; TV Movie/Mini-Series. For more information go to www.iemmys.tv.
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