Feingold Leaves Sony!

Robert Crawford · 09-14-2006, 11:42 PM

I've been very critical of Sony's performance in the home video market for more than a few years now. So hopefully, this change at the top will turn Sony around back to the days when they produced some of the best home video product on the market.

Benjamin S. Feingold has exited his post as worldwide president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment following the studio’s recent loss of distribution of the MGM catalog.

David Bishop, who has served as SPHE’s president of North America since April, has been bumped up to replace Feingold as worldwide president. A 15-plus-year veteran of MGM Home Entertainment Group, Bishop led that division as president and chief operating officer prior to the Sony-MGM merger. With the merger, he joined Sony as president of worldwide brand integration, before jumping to SPHE.

Changes are effective immediately and were announced Thursday by Sony Pictures chair and CEO Michael Lynton, who said Feingold was leaving to pursue other interests. Bishop will report to Lynton as Feingold had done previously.

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6372367.html

More recently, Feingold has been one of Hollywood's most aggressive backers of Blu-ray, earning him the nickname "Blu-ray Ben." He's also championed digital downloading and other alternative entertainment delivery options.

Taking over for Feingold as Sony's new president of worldwide home entertainment is David Bishop, the veteran MGM Home Entertainment chief who joined Sony in May 2005 after a consortium led by the studio bought MGM. At the time, Bishop was tapped as president of worldwide brand integration by Sony, a position created to manage Sony's assumption of the MGM catalog.

How this changing of the guard at Sony will affect the studio's upcoming Blu-ray plans remains to be seen. Regime changes at the highest studio levels historically have brought with them sweeping internal overhauls, though no one is expecting Sony to suddenly lessen support for the next-gen format they were integral in developing.

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/news...Steps _In/236

MatthewA · 09-14-2006, 11:59 PM

Let's hope his successor instigates the following:

—An actual customer service line
—No more butchered episodes of TV shows
—Consistent release patterns for TV shows
—No more pan and scan atrocities masquerading as "special editions"
—No more MPEG-2 Blu-Ray discs from poor quality masters.

Paul.S · 09-15-2006, 04:25 AM

It's an interesting development to be sure. In the acquisition agreement, MGM retained the right to shop their home vid rights to other distribbers after a year, an option they exercised. It appears as though Feingold is being made the corporate fall guy for an MGM decision to grant those rights to Fox, a decision that arguably may have been out of his control.

That's gotta sting after some 18 years at the studio.

Paul_Scott · 09-15-2006, 05:51 AM

So is Feingold the 'father of Blu-ray' the way that Lieberfarb was the 'father of DVD'?

Was Feingolds the chief voice pushing for blu-ray to be intrinsic to every PS3?

If the last point was in fact the case, I can understand why they would give him the boot shortly after more delays are announced, which will amount to Sony surrendering a second Christmas season to the PS3s competition.

Otherwise it would seem to make no sense since, by the supporters sober estimation, that Blu-ray is poised to deliver some devestating blows in relatively short order.

Robert Harris · 09-15-2006, 07:59 AM

David Bishop is a superb executive, who fully understands the home video and digital marketplace, as well as the needs and desires of the customer base.

I've a feeling we're poised for greatness.

Give him time.

RAH

**HTF Ads**

Paul.S · 09-15-2006, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul_Scott

So is Feingold the 'father of Blu-ray' the way that Lieberfarb was the 'father of DVD'?

It's an interesting but slightly flawed comparison given the differing outcomes: thanks to Lieberfarb, only one SD DVD format came to market, but that's of course not the case with HD. Given his reputed Geffen-esque dealmaking prowess, I'll long wonder what would have happened with the 'one format only' HD efforts if Lieberfarb had had direct executive involvement in HD disc development instead of simply as a consultant.

It's my understanding from an MSNBC piece about, oh, two years ago that it was Lieberfarb who coaxed Fox into SD DVD support in exchange for getting some of Rupert's cable channels carried by Time Warner Cable stations in New York.

DavidDTS · 09-15-2006, 11:59 AM

Ding Dong, the witch is dead......

Jeff® · 09-15-2006, 12:08 PM

http://www.homemediaretailing.com/

Quote:

"Feingold has won high marks from retailers and fellow studio executives alike since his 1994 assumption of the presidency at what was then Columbia TriStar Home Video. He developed an aggressive acquisition program and pioneered the direct-to-video sequels that are now standard operating practice at most of the majors. When DVD came along, Feingold was among the format’s biggest backers. He worked alongside ex-Warner Home Video president Warren Lieberfarb, known as the “father” of DVD, in getting the other studios to come on board.

Feingold was a champion of shorter windows between a film’s theatrical release and its DVD bow, maintaining it made sense to draft off a film’s theatrical awareness."

Larry Sutliff · 09-15-2006, 12:28 PM

According to film historian Tom Weaver, David Bishop is very conscious of classic films and their proper presentation on home formats, so this is a good thing IMHO.

Jeff® · 09-15-2006, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Sutliff

According to film historian Tom Weaver, David Bishop is very conscious of classic films and their proper presentation on home formats, so this is a good thing IMHO.

Great news. This and Robert's endorsement makes me hopeful for the future.

Jeff

JediFonger · 09-15-2006, 02:17 PM

yesh, first thing on Bishop's agenda is VC-1/MPEG4 AVC ONLY on BluRay

.