Television
October 18, 2006
Rick Meril Promoted To Executive Vice President & General Sales Manager, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
(October 18, 2006 – Burbank, CA) – Rick Meril has been promoted to Executive Vice President & General Sales Manager, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, it was announced today by Ken Werner, who was recently named President, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
Meril, who has served as Senior Vice President, WBDTD since joining the company in 1999, will be responsible for overseeing the distribution sales activities for the company’s first-run and off-network properties, including product from Warner Bros. Television, Telepictures Productions and Warner Horizon Television and feature films from Warner Bros. Pictures and the Turner Entertainment library, which includes classic MGM and RKO feature films. He will also oversee the day-to-day operations of WBDTD’s administration, research, marketing, creative services, programming and new business development teams.
“In addition to being an expert salesman and creative dealmaker, Rick is a terrific executive and incredibly respected by the station community,” said Werner. “He has added to that reputation by leading the WBDTD team that is in the process of concluding an extremely successful effort licensing the first cycle of ‘Two and Half Men.’ Though we’ve only worked together for a very short time, I’ve long been an admirer of Rick and am thrilled to have him at my side as we attack the challenges that lie ahead.”
Prior to joining Warner Bros., Meril spent 16 years at Cox Broadcasting, most recently as Executive Vice President, General Sales Manager, Television Syndication for Cox’s Rysher Television. Before that, he served as Vice President/General Sales Manager, Television Syndication at Cox’s Television Program Enterprises, having joined that division as National Television Barter Sales Account Executive. He initially joined Cox as a National Spot Sales Television Account Executive in their TeleRep division. Before Cox, Meril served as a Local Sales Manager for WFAA-TV (Dallas-Ft. Worth)/Belo Broadcasting and a Spot Television Account Executive for Petry Television. Meril began his career in media sales at WINS Radio (New York) /Westinghouse Broadcasting as a Radio Sales Account Executive.
For the 2006-07 season, WBDTD will distribute seven first-run series: “The Dr. Keith Ablow Show,” “The Tyra Banks Show,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Judge Mathis,” “Extra,” “The People’s Court” and “Showtime at the Apollo.” The extensive list of off-network programs currently in syndication via WBDTD includes “Two and a Half Men,” “Friends,” “Will & Grace” (from NBC Studios), “The Drew Carey Show,” HBO’s “Sex and the City” and the weekend broadcast windows presentations of “ER,” “The West Wing,” “Cold Case” and “Without a Trace.”
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