Jim Henson Hires New Distribution Exec

HOLLYWOOD: Richard Goldsmith has been named the executive VP of global distribution at The Jim Henson Company.

Goldsmith will report to Peter Schube, the president and COO of the company. He will oversee worldwide distribution of all company properties in the domestic and international markets across all media.

Goldsmith and his team will focus on licensing television, digital and DVD rights of the preschool series Pajanimals, which will be previewed for the first time at MIPCOM. The team will continue to exploit program distribution rights for animated series Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid, among others. Most recently, Goldsmith was the executive advisor for strategic distribution initiatives for both the digital distribution and consumer products divisions at Warner Bros. Entertainment.

“With our expanding production and development slate and the explosion of available distribution platforms around the world, it became increasingly apparent that we needed to bring onboard an executive of Richard’s caliber to maximize distribution opportunities on a global scale,” Schube said. “Richard’s expertise in the global market with both traditional and new outlets will be extremely valuable as we continue to reach international audiences with classic and contemporary programming from our company.”