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| VNU
eMedia in the News |
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- VNU buys IFILM directories: H'wood Creative pub part of deal
VNU Business Media, the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter, announced Monday that it has acquired the publishing division of IFILM Corp., including the Hollywood Creative Directory and Lone Eagle Publishing, for an undisclosed amount. The publications will be part of VNU's Film and Performing Arts Group, a division of VNU Business Media, and will be housed within the offices of The Hollywood Reporter.
HCD's line of executive directories is the leading source for locating professionals in the film, TV and music industries. Lone Eagle Publishing produces a series of how-to books for aspiring industry professionals, and its library of nearly 50 rifles includes a number of general entertainment books for the consumer audience.
"We are thrilled to add such strong brands to our entertainment portfolio," said Robert J. Dowling, editor-in-chief and publisher of The Hollywood Reporter. "This must-have business information will bolster our already strong product offering and provide a wealth of integration opportunities across all our rifles."
Jeff Black, former chief of IFILM's publishing division, joins The Hollywood Reporter as vp information services. He will maintain direct responsibility for the Hollywood Creative Directory and Lone Eagle print and online products and will report to Matthew King, vp strategic planning and editorial development at VNU's Film and Performing Arts Group.
"We are proud to have provided an opportunity for the publishing properties to grow and wish Jeff and the team continued success," IFILM CEO Blair Harrison said. "This completes the sale of IFILM's noncore assets enabling us to focus further on our consumer Internet business, IFILM.com."
The HCD and Lone Eagle publishing staff of 10 will relocate to The Hollywood Reporter's offices in Los Angeles.
IFILM bought both publishing units in 2000. The company purchased HCD from founder Aleks Horvat as a way to drive traffic to the company's website with HCD's online directory. Lone Eagle Publishing has been publishing educational and professional materials for the entertainment business since 1982. Black, a former talent agent at Triad has overseen the expansion of HCD and Lone Eagle for the past five years.
"The professional entertainment community is demanding more than simple contact information," King said. "By marrying these new assets to the group's news and data products, we have an opportunity to aggressively develop one-stop content solutions."
The Hollywood Reporter and HCD joined forces earlier this year to co-produce the 2004 BluBook, a comprehensive contacts directory for professionals in the production and postproduction industries.
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