Starz Promotes Turner, Waysdorf to Senior Vice President, Business Affairs; Barson Hired as Vice President, Business Affairs

Starz Promotes Turner, Waysdorf to Senior Vice President, Business Affairs; Barson Hired as Vice President, Business Affairs

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Steve Beabout, executive vice president and general counsel and secretary for Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) today announced the promotions of Richard Waysdorf to senior vice president of business affairs, distribution and Richard Turner to senior vice president of business affairs, programming. In addition, Beabout announced Marc Barson was hired to serve as vice president business affairs, production. Turner and Waysdorf work out of the corporate headquarters in Englewood, Colo. and report to Beabout; Barson will head the company's Los Angeles office and reports to Turner.

"As Starz has grown and evolved rapidly over the past few years, Richard Turner and Richard Waysdorf provided a solid legal foundation for our critical relationships with our studio partners and our affiliates. I am proud to have them on our team to provide the best legal advice and counsel as we move forward," said Beabout. "Likewise, I am delighted that our team will be further strengthened with the addition of Marc Barson whose role will be of growing importance as we move more aggressively into the acquisition and production of original content to deliver across all platforms."

Richard Waysdorf provides legal counsel to the affiliate sales group and is in charge of the negotiation and enforcement of affiliation agreements. Waysdorf also has responsibility for lobbying and governmental affairs on behalf of the company.

Waysdorf, formerly vice president of business affairs, affiliate relations for SEG, started working for the company 10 years ago and has been key in negotiating long-term affiliation agreements with major cable and telephone service operators including DirecTV, Comcast, EchoStar, Cox and AT&T.

Waysdorf joined SEG after serving as a supervisory attorney for the mass media bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), influencing FCC decisions on broadcast licensing and transfer and enforcement issues. Prior to the FCC, Waysdorf was a partner in Washington D.C. communications law firms. He graduated cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law and received a bachelor's degree from Brandeis University. Waysdorf founded the Rocky Mountain chapter for the Federal Communications Bar Association and served as co-chair from 1997 to 2006. In 2000, the Association awarded Waysdorf with its Distinguished Service Award. In addition, Waysdorf is a member of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, Rocky Mountain Chapter.

Waysdorf is a native of Chicago, Ill. and currently resides in Denver with his wife Julia and three children Abby, Matthew and Nina.

In his new role, Turner provides strategic guidance on SEG's acquisition of content, productions, new media ventures and marketing and promotions. Turner has also assisted Beabout on the acquisition and future integration of IDT Entertainment.

Turner has been with SEG for seven years, most recently serving as vice president of business affairs, programming, and has negotiated numerous output deals with studios such as Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Revolution Studios and Universal Studios. In addition, Turner has supervised legal work on many Starz Original productions such as "New Orleans Music In Exile."

Prior to joining SEG, Turner worked as an attorney for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. and was responsible for negotiating licensing agreements for the television exhibition of the company's products. Turner graduated magna cum laude from Pepperdine University School of Law and received an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a member of the National Association of Television Program Executives and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Turner is the immediate past chairman of the board of directors for the Denver Film Society (producer of the Denver Film Festival), and currently is the board's treasurer.

A native of Los Angeles, Turner now resides in Denver with his wife Britta Erickson and their son Jackson.

Marc Barson joins SEG as vice president of business affairs, production. In this position he will oversee all business affairs regarding Starz Original long form productions, co-productions, documentaries, television series and all in-house micro series, interstitials and promotions.

Barson brings with him 13 years of entertainment law experience in original programming. Before joining SEG, he served as senior vice president of sales and business affairs for Brainstorm Media in Los Angeles where he negotiated and drafted deals relating to everything from development to distribution and licensing of theatrical, television and video products. In addition, Barson handled the co-financing and production negotiations for in-house, made-for-television network and cable premiere movies.

Prior to Brainstorm Media, Barson worked as general counsel for worldwide distribution at Nu Image/ Millennium Films and as vice president of business and legal affairs for both World International Network, LLC and Cinequanon Pictures International, Inc. Barson graduated cum laude from Pepperdine University School of Law and received an undergraduate degree from the University of Hartford in Connecticut. He is currently affiliated with the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills Bar Association. Originally from Allentown, Pa., Barson now resides in Los Angeles.

"I have known Marc for many years and I'm thrilled to now have him as a part of Starz's business affairs team," Turner said. "He will be a perfect fit for the company, bringing a wealth of experience in entertainment law to the table."

Contact: Rhiannon Hendrickson
Starz Entertainment Group
(720) 852-5802
rhiannon.hendrickson@starz.com

Source: Starz Entertainment Group LLC

CONTACT: Rhiannon Hendrickson of Starz Entertainment Group,
+1-720-852-5802, rhiannon.hendrickson@starz.com

-------
Profile: intent