Radium Ventures Inc., a provider of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), announced that Interactive Television Networks Inc. (ITVN), formerly XTV, has named three independent directors to its board of directors. Geoff Brown, Joseph J. Scotti, and John Wirt will join the ITVN board of directors as independent directors effective immediately and bring to ITVN a broad background of experience in media and entertainment, the company says.
Brown, 59, is recognized as a pioneer in interactive entertainment. In 1984, Brown founded U.K.-based US Gold, a video game developer and publisher, whose distribution arm, CentreSoft Ltd., remains the largest distributor of video games in the U.K. Following a successful U.K. public offering in 1993, US Gold purchased Core Design. Under Brown's leadership, Core Design commissioned and developed Tomb Raider, which went on to become a worldwide franchise selling more than 30 million games. Brown also has worked with the International Olympics Committee, creating Official Olympic Games products (including the BAFTA-winning Salt Lake City 2000) and won an MTV award for Robbie William's “Rock DJ” pop video. Brown's companies have sold more than 100 million video games worldwide.
Scotti, 47, is a prominent cable and broadcast industry executive, television distribution veteran, and president of Global Media Television. Previously, Scotti was president of FremantleMedia's (formerly Pearson Television) North American distribution division. Prior to that, Scotti served as executive vice president for All-American Television, which was sold to Pearson PLC for $535 million. Additionally, Scotti launched multiple television franchises, including Baywatch: Hawaii, Baywatch: The Strip, The Adventures of Sinbad, Ghost Stories, Air America, Match Game, Family Feud, To Tell the Truth, Card Shark, Beach Clash, and such cable television networks as Showtime, The Movie Channel, and the Viewers Choice Channel, among others.
Wirt, 41, is the assistant general counsel of Don King Productions Inc. Prior to joining DKP, Wirt worked in private practice as an attorney for prominent Chicago law firms. He is also a certified public accountant. Wirt has extensive experience in the licensing of broadcasting rights to major domestic and international broadcasters, including, pay-per-view, cable, satellite, Internet, terrestrial, premium, and closed-circuit television.
"We are delighted to have attracted such high-profile media and entertainment executives to the board of ITVN," says Charles Prast, chairman. "We expect that their guidance, reputation, and relationships will significantly accelerate both the roll-out of our broadband-enabled IPTV set-top-boxes and the launch of additional interactive entertainment networks."
The three entertainment and media leaders join already seated board and management team members Prast, president and co-founder Michael Martinez, and chief financial officer Murray Williams.
