Future plc, which publishes Broadcasting+Cable, Multichannel News and Next TV, named Jon Steinberg as CEO following a search process.

Steinberg is senior adviser to The Raine Group. He ran Altice USA’s news and advertising division since Cheddar, the digital news company he founded, was acquired by Altice. 

Effective March 31, Steinberg succeeds Zillah Byng-Thorne, who last September announced plans to step down.

“Jon has highly valuable expertise and has developed a fantastic track record, combining entrepreneurialism with leadership at some of the very best digital and media organizations operating at scale,” Future chair Richard Huntingford said. “He is a charismatic leader with a deep understanding and passion for media, particularly how technology, creativity and innovation can be harnessed to accelerate growth and build significant value for stakeholders. As we look to further extend Future’s leadership, particularly in the U.S., Jon is a natural fit.”

Under Byng-Thorne, Future grew via acquisitions including Blaze Publishing, NewBay Media, Purch, SmartBrief and TI Media.

“I am delighted to be joining Future,“ Steinberg said. ”It is a business that I’ve followed closely and long admired for the way it has redefined the media playbook, marrying the best of editorial and technology. I look forward to working with the Board and the leadership team to build on the success achieved under Zillah’s tenure.” 

Huntingford thanked Byng-Thorne for her accomplishments as CEO. 

“Through her leadership, Future has transformed beyond recognition, from a loss-making magazine publisher into a leading digital media platform of 250 brands reaching one in three adults online in the U.S. and U.K. and delivering market-leading returns for our investors in the process,” he said.

“Leading Future has been a true privilege,“ Byng-Thorne said. ”It is a job and a company that I have loved, working alongside incredibly talented teams focused on staying true to the evolving needs and desires of the audiences we serve. I will continue to be a firm supporter of the business and am confident that Future, under Jon’s leadership, will go from strength to strength.” ■

CinemaBlend, one of the most popular consumer destinations on the internet for news about streaming video and the broader entertainment world in general, has been acquired by Future plc for an undisclosed price.

Portland, Ore.-based CinemaBlend reached an average of 19.4 million unique users a month through the first half of 2020, a 118% percent year-over-year audience increase. The general consumer news website is focused on a broad array of entertainment subjects spanning movies and television, but it has recently emerged as a key destination for coverage of streaming video content. 

Future, which is headquartered in Bath, UK, also owns Next TV. The acquisition of CinemaBlend complements the company’s recent launch of WhatToWatch.com, which also covers streaming entertainment from a consumer perspective. 

Overall, the integration of CinemaBlend will expand Future’s reach of 46 million online users in its TV, film, games and entertainment verticals, particularly in the U.S.

“We are delighted to be adding CinemaBlend to our portfolio of leading entertainment brands. CinemaBlend is a great cultural fit for Future, producing content we are passionate about,” said Zillah Byng-Thorne, CEO of Future, in a statement. “The acquisition materially expands our market share within the TV & FIlm and Games & Entertainment verticals in the U.S, and provides us with a range of opportunities to continue to drive the brand’s growth organically by leveraging our proprietary technology platform.”

Registration for The Photography Show & The Video Show Virtual Festival is now open.

Taking place on Sept. 20-21, the virtual festival will serve up 130 exhibitors, 170 expert talks and demos, new equipment launches, galleries and more -- and access is free of charge.  

The Photography Show & The Video Show has welcomed thousands of photographers and filmmakers to Birmingham in the U.K. for six years, and is going virtual in 2020. Over the two days, visitors will be able to access over 100 never before seen tutorials, visit launches and demonstrations and browse and chat with more than 130 exhibitors, including Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Panasonic and Fujifilm. 

As part of the Main Stage sessions there are six programs to choose from. Out & About covers photography and filmmaking outdoors. Create & Motivate includes interviews with David Yarrow, Sarah Waiswa and Doug Allan, and a live session with Chase Jarvis. Editing & Post-production features a tutorial from Julieanne Kost, while Connect covers essential business and marketing guides. There are also programs dedicated to Photo Skills and Video Skills. 

Visitors can browse the Galleries (created by SheClicks, Gurushots, AOP and SPi Awards teams) or visit the Analogue Spotlight to get some insight into the return to non-digital photography. You can also navigate the Exhibitor Academy for some talks from the Canon Stage, Nikon School and Sony Alpha Academy, or to the Burst Mode Hub to see brand new gear reviewed by our experts. 

A charity auction will also be held on behalf of official charity partner, the Disabled Photographers’ Society. Visit photographyshow.com to register for the virtual festival and learn more about the charity’s important work. 

Broadcasting+Cable and Next TV have joined with other Future titles in the seventh annual Best of Show Awards at NAB Show in Las Vegas.

From now until April 3, exhibitors can nominate new products for awards presented by B+C, for broad reach into the television industry; and Next TV, the only digital resource dedicated to the business of video streaming; along with Future publications TV Technology, TVBEurope, Digital Video, Government Video, Video Edge, Radio World, Pro Sound News and Sound & Video Contractor.

The winners will be selected by panels of professional users and magazine and site editors, based on descriptions provided by companies via the official nomination form, as well as on-site evaluation at the show.

Exhibitors can also nominate their company for the Booth Design Award.

Upon submitting a nomination, exhibitors will receive a nominee logo to display in their booth and for social media marketing. Each nominated product will also be featured in a post-show digital Program Guide that offers an overview of new technology at the 2020 NAB Show. Read the 2019 Program Guide for an example.

For more information about the 2020 NAB Best of Show Awards, visit the FAQ page. To nominate, visit the official Best of Show website.

The editors and publishers of Multichannel News have announced the 2020 Women to Watch, who will be celebrated with the 2020 Wonder Women (previously announced) at a gala luncheon Thursday, March 26, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York.

The luncheon, co-hosted by the New York chapter of Women in Cable Telecommunications, is the centerpiece of NYC TV Week Spring. Other NYC TV Week Spring events include Advanced Advertising, the Next TV Summit and the CultureX breakfast.

Here are the 2020 Women to Watch:

Victoria Bieler, Head of Broadcast and Retrans, Verizon

Johnita Due, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, WarnerMedia News and Sports, WarnerMedia

Libby Geist, Vice President & Executive Producer, ESPN Films and Original Content, ESPN

Diana Horowitz, Vice President, U.S. Sales East, Telestream

Audrey Lee, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Starz

Danielle Mullin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Crown Media Family Networks

Lauren Petterson, President, Fox Business Network

Marcella Milliet Sciorra, Vice President, Ad Sales & Product Marketing, Spectrum Reach

Nancy Smith, President and CEO, Analytic Partners

Julie Sterling, Director of Media & Entertainment Partnerships, Google

Randi Stipes, Chief Marketing Officer, IBM Watson Media and Weather

Holly Tang, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Production Operations, Lifestyle Networks, NBCUniversal

Future plc, the global platform for specialist media, today announces the launch of Next TV — a new digital brand covering the dynamic video streaming business.

The advent of streaming has led to the rise of video giants such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, and OTT video subscribers have tripled between 2015 and 2019, now at 590.4 million globally. From the industry’s leading voices in TV business news — publisher of Future brands Broadcasting+Cable and Multichannel News — Next TV is the new go-to resource for news, information and industry insight for leaders in streaming, data and technology.

“We are delighted to be launching Next TV as the industry is reinventing itself. We will tackle the myriad challenges and significant opportunities related to the TV industry's migration to digital and streaming video,” said Randi Schatz, vice president/market leader for Future’s Media & Entertainment brands.

Next TV features compelling editorial and video content on the services, programming, people, platforms and technology giving a complete 360° view into the streaming business. In addition, Next TV will also offer unique marketing, advertising, exclusive events, and experiential marketing opportunities.

“Video streaming is a true watershed event that cuts across the world of technology, the TV Industry and even popular culture with new challenges and opportunities for professionals and consumers alike. Next TV will focus on this new industry with timely reporting and insightful analysis,” said Bill Gannon, Vice President and Global Editor-in-Chief at Future.

In addition to the new website Next TV is launching a new weekly SmartBrief newsletter bringing streaming media professionals the top curated industry news from today’s most prominent media outlets.

Nominations remain open for the Multichannel News Best of Show Awards at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2018.

The self-submitted awards, which are presented by Future plc publications Multichannel News, Broadcasting & Cable and VideoEdge, will recognize the innovation and excellence among the products and services on display at the Expo. The new deadline to submit entries is Friday, Oct. 19.

The winners will be announced at the Expo, which runs from Oct. 22-25 in Atlanta.

Submissions will be judged by a committee of professional users and our editors and winners will be selected based on the descriptions provided by exhibiting companies.

For more information, including how to nominate your product, visit Best of Show Awards.