Television
March 6, 2002
Simon D. Kenny Named Senior Vice President, Europe, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution
(March 6, 2002 - Burbank, CA & London) - Simon D. Kenny has been named Senior Vice President, Europe, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, it was announced today by Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television (WBIT).
Based in London, Kenny will oversee WBITD’s European sales force, as well as be responsible for identifying equity investments, strategic alliances and co-production opportunities. He assumes the responsibilities of Joshua A. Berger, who was recently promoted to the newly created position of Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. U.K.
“Simon brings to this job an impressive array of experience in negotiating deals and developing businesses in Europe, Asia and Latin America, whether they involve programming, channel carriage or equity investments,” Schlesinger. “As our business continues to expand, with new platforms added all of the time, we are pleased to have someone of Simon’s expertise leading our efforts in Europe.”
An international television executive with more than a decade of experience in Europe, Asia and Latin America, Kenny joins WBITD from Walt Disney, where he worked for the past ten years, most recently as Senior Vice President & Managing Director of The Walt Disney Internet Group, Europe, a post he had held since September 2000. In this job, Kenny was active in developing wireless content distribution deals with mobile phone operators, broadband content and operating Disney’s free websites.
Kenny joined Disney as Director, Barter Sales in 1992 from Young & Rubicam Europe, to develop Disney’s advertiser-funded program distribution initiative in Eastern Europe, India and China. In 1994, he was promoted to Vice President, TV Sales, Walt Disney Television International, responsible for distributing Disney and Touchstone content to television and cable/satellite stations in Europe, Africa and Latin America.
In 1995, Kenny added responsibility for Business Development to his distribution duties, negotiating long-term Pay TV, Pay-Per-View and Disney Channel carriage agreements in Italy, Germany and Spain. He also led negotiations for Disney’s successful acquisition of an equity stake in HBO Olé and HBO Brazil from Warner Bros. International Television, Sony Entertainment and Olé Communications.
In 1997, Kenny turned his attention to the Latin American marketplace full-time as Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Walt Disney Television International, Latin America, based in Miami. During this time, he represented Disney on the boards of HBO Olé, HBO Brazil and TVA (the Brazilian cable MSO), created long-term output agreements with TV Azteca in Mexico and SBT in Brazil and launched two new International Disney Channels: a pan regional service for Spanish-speaking Latin America and a separate Portuguese-language service for Brazil. Both channels were backed by exclusive long-term satellite distribution agreements with DirecTV.
In 2000, Kenny returned to London to take over as Senior Vice President & Managing Director of The Walt Disney Internet Group, Europe. Kenny is a graduate of the University of North London in Philosophy. # # #