Larry Namer, E! Entertainment Co-Founder and Head of North American Ops for Eurocinema, Selected by China to Keynote 1st International Media and Technology Conference

Business Wire, Oct 15, 2008

News Corp Europe Chairman I. Martin Pompadur Also Headlines Oct. 22-25 Symposium

NEW YORK -- Larry Namer, the co-founder of E! Entertainment who now heads North American operations for Eurocinema, the only TV channel dedicated exclusively to presenting foreign films to North American audiences, and I. Martin Pompadur, chairman of News Corp Europe, have been selected by the government of China to keynote the First International Media and Technology Conference in that country.

The symposia, co-sponsored by the China Radio and Television Association, a government agency that represents the interests of over 1900 TV stations and hundreds of radio stations, and the State Association of Radio, Film and Television, will be held in Hangzhou from Oct. 22 to Oct. 25. Some 2000 media executives are scheduled to attend.

"The selection of these two individuals was based on their broad experience across all avenues of media and their roles as both big executives in big corporations as well as entrepreneurs," said CRTA Assistant Secretary Mr. Zhifang Xia. "Both of these gentlemen being a wealth of international business experience. Mr. Namer is well known to us for his pioneering efforts in the Soviet Union and then Russia as the founder and CEO of Comspan, not to mention his role as co-founder of E! Entertainment. Mr. Pompadur has been a part of the growth of the broadcast television industry in the U.S. and for the past several years has been representing News Corp all over Europe, and specifically its expansion into eastern European media businesses."

Namer began his career as an installer in 1971 at Time Inc. video group and rose to Director of Corporate Development. He then established a number of successful businesses, including Valley Cable TV in Los Angeles. In 1984, he co-founded Movietime Channel, which became E! Entertainment, and oversaw the network's expansion in 14 international markets and the launch of a radio network that eventually reached 110 markets. In 1989, he founded Comspan Communications, a producer of live entertainment events in the former Soviet Union and the company that brought the soap opera "Santa Barbara" to Russia, where it was the number one show for 10 years. He is a pioneer in the use of cable for data communications.

Pompadur joined News Corp as Executive Vice President, President of Eastern and Central Europe, and a member of the Executive Management Committee in 1998. Two years later, he was appointed Chairman of News Corp Europe. Prior to News Corp, he was president of RP Media Management and held executive positions at other media companies. He serves currently as director of Nexstar Broadcasting Group, News Out of Home B.V., Balkan Bulgarian, RP Coffee Ventures, and Sky Italia.