Senior Appointments at Sony-Discovery-IMAX 3D JV

LOS ANGELES: Julia Rao has been named the chief financial officer for the new 3D joint venture from Sony Corporation, Discovery Communications and IMAX Corporation, while Mark Ringwald is to become the director of scheduling and acquisitions.

Rao is responsible for the strategic planning, financial analysis and budgeting for the JV, which intends to launch one of the first 24/7 fully programmed 3D TV networks. Rao was previously the CFO for several Discovery U.S. networks, including Animal Planet, Planet Green, Discovery Health and FitTV.

Ringwald will oversee the scheduling and programming strategy for the JV, including long- and short-form acquisitions and longer-term and scheduling strategy. Ringwald most recently served as the VP of programming for AmericanLife TV Network.

“Julia and Mark bring extensive industry experience and incredible enthusiasm to our fast-growing 3D team,” said Tom Cosgrove, the president and CEO of the JV. “By leveraging the unmatched strength and expertise of Sony, Discovery and IMAX, we will establish this network as the leader in 3D with the most extensive library of original and exclusive high-quality 3D content available anywhere.”