Babelgum Sets Up U.S. Base

LONDON/NEW YORK, July 16:
Interactive web-TV platform Babelgum is establishing its presence in the U.S.
with an office in New York, hiring Ethan Podell as the president and Michael
Rosen as the executive VP and chief revenue officer.

Podell will oversee all
aspects of the company’s U.S. operations and business growth. He will report to
Valerio Zingarelli, the CEO of Babelgum. Podell is a veteran of both
HBO and CBS, and founded and managed several successful start-ups, including
Orbis Communications and All American Orbis.

Rosen, who will report to
Podell, will run global advertising sales, distribution and trade marketing,
and will also be responsible for launching Babelgum to the advertising
community worldwide. He joins the company from WeatherBug, where he served as
the senior VP and general manager. Rosen has held previous senior positions in
sales, marketing and distribution at Bloomberg, News Corporation’s new digital
media group and Showtime Networks.

Zingarelli commented: “The
U.S. is a strategically important market for Babelgum. Its size and regional
business hubs require on-the-ground presence. We intend to emerge as one of the
leading Internet-TV platforms, especially in independent programming. The
appointments of Ethan and Michael, coupled with the development of a
technologically advanced platform and a sound business proposition, will see
Babelgum strive forward into the largest economy in the world.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski