Kathleen Hricik
Independent Consultant, MTV Networks International
30 minutes with Kathleen Hricik, EVP International Program Enterprises, MTV Networks International

As Executive Vice President, International Program Enterprises, MTV Networks International, Kathleen Hricik is responsible for all international program syndication and licensing/merchandising activities for MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. Hricik is spearheading a new strategic development for the company: to accelerate the growth of MTVNI's syndication, licensing and merchandising businesses by developing new, international products in MTV Networks' core competency areas of kids, music and young people, for sale to third parties. Hricik's group currently has multiple co-production deals in development including an animated series, Yakitty Yak and a live action series, Star. Hricik has also recently established an MTV Networks International consumer products office in Europe to expand MTVNI's offering throughout the region. Hricik is based in New York and oversees offices in New York, London and Miami and Singapore.

Within three years of joining MTV Networks International in 1995 as Senior Vice President, Program Enterprises for Nickelodeon International, Hricik successfully quadrupled Nickelodeon's program sales internationally and helped build the network into a global kids entertainment brand through her leadership of the international licensing and merchandising division. In 1999, Hricik assumed responsibility for the international sales and licensing/merchandising businesses for MTV and VH1, syndicating programs such as MTV's Real World, Beavis and Butthead and VH1's Behind The Music to third party terrestrial broadcasters globally.

Under Hricik's leadership, Nickelodeon's international consumer product licensees has nearly doubled since 1999 when Nick's Rugrats and Blue's Clues franchises first rolled-out. In 2001, Hricik launched Nickelodeon's new multi-media franchise, Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, resulting in the television series being pre-sold into 28 markets nearly two years prior to its premiere. Most recently Hricik has overseen the international launch of Licensing and Merchandising programs for Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants in thirteen key markets. Regionally executed activities commenced in April 2003 and include a global deal with Burger King Corporation, and local retail partnerships with Virgin Megastores in the UK, Walmart in Mexico, Target in Australia, Ripley in Chile and Zellers in Canada.

Additional deals recently negotiated by Hricik include customised versions of the MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Movie Awards and MTV Video Music Awards with the UK's Channel 4 and Germany's RTL2, and multiple regional deals for MTV's The Osbournes which is has become the highest grossing MTV programme in terms of international third party sales.

Prior to joining Nickelodeon, Hricik was with Orion Pictures for 10 years, where she held the position of Senior Vice President at Orion Pictures International. In that capacity, she managed all international television sales of Orion's library, including theatrical feature films, made-for-television movies and series programming.

Hricik held her first international acquisition and co-production position at Metro Media Producers Corp. She began her career at Globo TV Network of Brazil, where she worked in the U.S. bureau as Senior Producer of special events programming and of a weekly, award-winning news magazine show.

IPE currently has combined sales of Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central programming 143 countries. Nickelodeon currently has sales in 141 countries via program sales, channels and services and a program catalogue with over 3700 half-hours of programming, which includes over 160 new half-hours in 2003. MTV and VH1 currently have sales in 107 countries. The MTV/VH1 catalogue has 800 hours of programming, which includes at least 266 episodes of new programming in 2003.

MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory) and Game One. On a worldwide basis, the channels are seen in more than 377 million households in 164 countries and 18 languages via 96 locally programmed and operated TV channels and 41 Web sites.