Television, Sports Business Executive Mike McCarthy Named Co-Chair of Manhattan Place Entertainment

Dec. 12, 2012 - PRLog -- Manhattan Place Entertainment, one of the nation’s leading production and creative services companies, today announced that they have named Mike McCarthy to the newly created position of Co-Chairman. McCarthy, one of the most respected and innovative executives in the entertainment business, joins Manhattan Place after a storied career in business management and broadcast production, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League after a trailblazing run with Madison Square Garden Networks. McCarthy will help oversee new business development and brand project growth for Manhattan Place, whose 25 year track record in advertising campaigns, episodic series, branded content, commercials, and on-air promotions for broadcast, the web, or digital platforms, is among the best in the industry.

“Mike McCarthy brings the exact skill set that will change the game for MPE and all of our partners. His vision and leadership will enable us to broaden the overall scope of what we do and take it to an entirely new level,” said Manhattan Place Founder/President Steve Cohen. “We are beyond excited by the prospects of being able to take a concept, make it, and distribute it. If we were a sports franchise, I’d feel like we just signed the most coveted free agent on the market by adding Mike to the organization. We got our lead-off man, cleanup hitter, number 1 starting pitcher and lights out closer all rolled into one!  We’re on an emotional high right now because we feel like the skies the limit in terms of where we can go from here.”

“I have seen the exemplary work that Steve and the team have done over the years, and I am looking forward to working with them to further expand their reach for both new and existing clients,” McCarthy said. “The entertainment business these days is being driven by creative minds that know how to tell brand stories in every visual means possible, and no one has done that better than Manhattan Place.  It will be exciting to help not just grow the business but the footprint of the industry together as well. The current content landscape is blurred between agencies, production companies and distribution outlets—this talented group at MPE is poised to take advantage of this unique opportunity and I’m proud to be a part of it.”  

A Connecticut resident, McCarthy most recently served as the CEO and Alternate Governor of the St. Louis Blues, where he oversaw day-to-day operations for the NHL franchise, guiding the team to its first Central Division title in over 10 years, and driving revenue growth to unprecedented heights for the club. He was also directly responsible for operating the Scottrade Center, the 7th most active arena in the United States, and the re-opened  and renovated Peabody Opera House. As a founding partner of SCP Worldwide, he was chairman of the highly acclaimed sports, entertainment and media production company, Tupelo Honey Productions, driving significant revenue growth and client base for the firm.

Prior to joining SCP Worldwide, McCarthy served as President of Madison Square Garden Networks Group, a position he rose to during his 23-year career with the organization. During his tenure, he oversaw  production, programming,  ad sales, marketing, new media, technical operations and affiliate sales efforts that led to an extraordinary 50 Emmy Awards and 250 Emmy Award Nominations as well as a host of other accolades that included the national Cable ACE Award, an International Festival Award, two Pro Max Marketing Awards, a Bandies Award and The Mark Award. Besides being recognized for excellence in traditional television production and programming, McCarthy initiated a series of innovations that helped make MSG one of the most technically advanced regional networks. Those innovations included the introduction of High Definition Television (HDTV) in 1998 when MSG aired the first regularly scheduled sports events covered in HD.

As the leader of Madison Square Garden Networks Group, Mr. McCarthy had the responsibility of overseeing the entire operation of MSG Network, Fox Sports Net New York, MSG Radio, MSG ITV and MSGNetwork.com. He managed budgets of  almost $400 million in revenue and over $200 million in expenses, while overseeing over 200 staff and another 300 freelance employees.

Manhattan Place Entertainment has produced award winning content for every broadcast network, major cable outlets, worldwide advertising agencies, Public relations and marketing firms, as well as a who’s who of corporate clients including: ABC Television, ABC Sports, Disney/ABC Digital, ESPN, Euro RSCG, HAVAS Worldwide, Glam Media, FX Networks, Speed TV, Kraft, TV Food Network, Madison Square Garden Advertising, The New York Knicks, The New York Rangers, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, VH-1 Movies, Original Media, Noise Digital, Trailer Park, Versus, Turner Sports,  NBC Sports, General Electric, CBS Sports, Comedy Central (The Daily Show), Ford Motor Company, Intel, WWE, FOX Sports, HBO Sports, Directv, Burson Marstellar, Red Bull, and Brandarc

About Manhattan Place

Since its inception in 1987 Manhattan Place Entertainment has maintained a reputation as one of the most respected television production companies in the entertainment industry. From concept through to final deliverables, they are a direct source for every type of service in the realm of film, video and digital production.

From Super Bowls to PSA’s with former Presidents of the United States, Manhattan Place Entertainment has produced content that has been viewed by audiences literally in the tens of millions, across all platforms, all over the world. Along the way they have garnered dozens of the industry's top honors including multiple Emmy Awards, Promax Awards, Telly Awards, and Cine Eagles, while helping their partners win dozens and dozens more. Originally renowned as a boutique shop for field production and on-location shooting, MPE has transformed and grown to develop, produce, and expertly deliver a wide range of content in long, short and medium format.  From live sporting and entertainment events, to advertising campaigns, commercials, and episodic television, MPE is a direct source for facilitating and executing any type of production at the highest level. For more information go to information go to manhattanplace.tv/index.html



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