NOV. 4 | Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer; Sony home video chief Ben Feingold; and prolific entertainment licensor Marvel Studios will be inducted into the Video Business Video Hall of Fame on Dec. 5 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Alex Trebek, host of TV game show Jeopardy!, will host the 25th anniversary edition of the gala dinner and awards show, to be held at the Beverly Hilton hotel. The annual event has raised more than $3 million for children’s charities.
“We are excited to recognize each of this year’s inductees for their consistently outstanding contributions to the home entertainment market over many years,” VB publisher Kevin Davis said. “Wal-Mart redefined the merchandising of home video products and has been one of the primary drivers in making DVD the favorite entertainment medium of consumers.
“Ben Feingold has been a point man in the launch of some of the industry’s most revolutionary new home video technologies and overseen the marketing and distribution of Sony’s most successful videos and DVDs,” Davis continued. “And Marvel changed the landscape of filmed entertainment, resulting in an extraordinarily successful array of home video programs that appeal to children
and adults alike. Because they have separately and collectively changed the face of home entertainment, Video Business is proud to induct these honorees into the Video Hall of Fame.”
Wal-Mart was one of the biggest chains to embrace the sale of videocassettes in the ’90s. The chain’s innovative promotions, such as moving videos outside the home entertainment area, and aggressive marketing and pricing, built Wal-Mart into the world’s largest seller of DVDs, including more than a third of all units sold in the U.S. alone.
Wal-Mart’s award will be accepted by Gary Severson, senior VP and general merchandise manager.
Feingold has been president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment since 1994, where he has overseen the DVD releases of some of the biggest theatrical films and TV series of all time, including the Spider-Man series and Seinfeld.
He also was one of the architects and a leader in the launch of DVD and was more recently instrumental in this year’s successful launch and adoption by every major studio of the PlayStation Portable. He is the primary studio proponent of the Blu-ray format for movies and other programming on high-definition digital discs.
Feingold also has directed the division’s acquisitions and film development businesses.
Leveraging a library of more than 5,000 proprietary characters, Marvel Studios is the creative force behind movie, TV, DVD and videogame franchises distributed by nearly every studio and supplier, from this year’s theatrical and DVD release Fantastic Four, to ongoing franchises such as Spider-Man, The Punisher, Blade and X-Men, as well as many upcoming DVD premiere movies and programs.
Worldwide spending on DVDs and videocassettes of programming based on Marvel properties has exceeded $1 billion.
One of the primary architects of the revival of Marvel characters since the late ’90s, Marvel Studios chairman-CEO Avi Arad will accept the induction on behalf of Marvel.
Since 1984, Ontario, Canada native Trebek has hosted more than 4,500 shows of Jeopardy!, which was recognized last week by The Guinness Book of World Records for receiving more Emmys than any other game show. Trebek has won three Daytime Emmys for outstanding game show host, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was recently inducted into the California Broadcasting Assn.’s Hall of Fame.
VB founded the Video Hall of Fame in 1981 to recognize outstanding contributors to the business of home entertainment while aiding children in need. The Hall of Fame, now with 77 inductees, benefits two charities: Variety—The Children’s Charity (not affiliated with VB sister publication Variety) and the Samara Jan Turkel Foundation.
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