Television
December 4, 2003
Jessica Pinto Named Director, Animation Marketing, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution
(December 4, 2003 - Burbank, CA) - Jessica Pinto has been named to the newly created position of Director, Animation Marketing, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD), it was announced today by Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television.
Pinto will oversee all creative aspects of the newly created international Kids’ WB! branded programming blocks being launched around the world as well as coordinating sales and marketing presentations of all the animation brands and titles that WBITD distributes to international broadcasters. Pinto will also act as a liaison between WBITD and other Warner Bros. Entertainment units as well as with sister Time Warner divisions in animation-related initiatives. Based in Burbank, Pinto will report to Lisa Gregorian, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Television Creative Services.
“Jessica’s experience, passion and creativity with children’s programming combined with her incredible knowledge of the needs and sensitivities of broadcasters will prove invaluable as we embark on the launch of Kids’ WB! around the world as well as continue to strive to keep our animated brands and characters alive on television screens in more than 175 territories,” said Gregorian.
WBITD’s Kids’ WB! block, which was unveiled at MIPCOM last month, is a fully customizable children’s programming block that offers international broadcasters top-rated programming from the world’s largest and finest animation library along with use of Kids’ WB! branded materials, on-air interstitials and elements. The block has already launched on TPS’ children channel TPS Cinefamily in France and will launch next year on RTL2 in Germany.
Pinto joins WBITD from The WB Television Network, where, she most recently served as Vice President, Programming & Scheduling for the top-rated Kids’ WB!. She joined Kids’ WB! in 1999 and rose along with the children’s programming service as an integral member of the team responsible for all aspects of programming, scheduling and developing the shows that have maintained Kids’ WB!’s industry-leading position. She began her tenure at The WB in 1996 in the Standards and Practices department.
Before joining The WB, Pinto worked in sales and marketing at the entertainment industry trade publication Variety. She has a BA in Communication, with an emphasis on Children & the Media from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she worked as a lab supervisor/research assistant for the three-year “National Television Violence Study,” which was commissioned by the FCC.
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