Bishop new worldwide head at Sony

UPDATE: Departing Feingold played key role in DVD, Blu-ray launches

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 9/14/2006

Feingold, the longest-tenured home video division head among the major studios, steps down just four months after Sony  lost its video distribution deal for the MGM catalog to 20th Century Fox and on the eve of a critical fourth quarter that includes the launch of Sony’s Blu-ray Disc format.

Bishop is a 15-plus-year veteran of MGM Home Entertainment Group, which he led as president and chief operating officer prior to the Sony-MGM merger. With the merger, he joined Sony as president of worldwide brand integration, before jumping to SPHE.

Feingold also held the title of president of digital distribution and acquisitions, but those are not part of Bishop’s responsibilities going forward.

Changes are effective immediately and were announced Thursday by Sony Pictures chair and CEO Michael Lynton, who said Feingold was leaving to pursue other interests. Bishop will report to Lynton as Feingold had done previously.

Long-running reign

Until this change, Feingold was the longest-running major studio disc chief still in the position, having headed the division since 1994. He played a key role in launching Sony’s high-definition Blu-ray Disc by bowing the format’s first titles earlier this year. The launch has been dogged by some negative reviews, however, and has been bogged down by the lack of affordably priced hardware.

Feingold also was one of the earliest supporters of DVD, which eventually transformed the home entertainment industry into a $25 billion a year business

SPHE is on track for a strong fourth quarter in home video, with releases including Click, The Da Vinci Code and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

However, MGM’s decision this year to hand distribution of its DVD product to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment hurt SPHE. Sony Corp.’s desire to exploit such MGM catalog franchises as James Bond and Rocky played a key role in the merger of the two companies.

More changes could come

Some sources suspect that Sony will be making further structural changes, likely creating a separate unit to house digital operations in the way that Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Entertainment have recently carved out distinct digital units separate from traditional DVD operations.

“We are truly grateful to Ben Feingold for building our home entertainment division into what it is today,” Lynton said. “He was a leader in creating the whole DVD market, which of course changed the landscape of our industry.”

Bishop said that “with the launch of Blu-ray in the global market, this is a very exciting time to be in home entertainment. I look forward to working with the great team in this division to give consumers the kind of quality entertainment they desire and deserve.”

Feingold added upon his departure, “I would like to thank Sony Pictures for helping make the past 18 years so memorable.”