— Gene Simmons, Media Mogul and Entrepreneur, to Host Awards Luncheon on November 12 —

NEW YORK (Billboard Publicity Wire via Business Wire EON) October 29, 2008 -- Mediaweek today announced the winners of the 23^rd annual Media All-Star Awards, honoring this year’s media elite in eleven categories. The 2008 honorees will be awarded at a celebratory luncheon held at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City on November 12.

Media Executive of the Year.

Mediaweek is honored to award the brightest stars of the media world with this fantastic distinction

This year's recipients have made a significant impact in their respective categories and deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated by their industry, clients and peers.

Media Executive of the Year

Sponsored by A&E Television Network and hosted by rock legend and media aficionado Gene Simmons, the 2008 Media All-Star Awards will honor the top professionals of the national TV/cable, local TV/cable, print, digital, research, radio, non-traditional media, out-of-home, media buying and planning disciplines. The awards will also name one “Media Executive of the Year.”

“Mediaweek is honored to award the brightest stars of the media world with this fantastic distinction,” said Michael Bürgi, Editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Mediaweek. “This year’s recipients have made a significant impact in their respective categories and deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated by their industry, clients and peers.”

As a salute to the industry’s top professionals, Mediaweek is pleased to announce the 2008 Media All-Star Award winners:

Mediaweek’s 2008 “Media Executive of the Year”:

Richard Beaven, Chairman, CEO, Initiative— Beaven was named chairman and CEO of Initiative Worldwide on March 1^st, following a highly successful run as CEO of the media, marketing and digital agency’s North America operations. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s worldwide operations of nearly 100 offices in 58 markets on six continents, and a global workforce of over 3,000 employees. Beaven also heads the Worldwide Leadership Team, setting the direction for corporate strategy and development. Since Beaven joined Initiative in September 2006, the agency has won a number of new client assignments and has significantly expanded its relationship with several others, leading to a nearly $2 billion influx of billings in the two years since his arrival. Beaven's leadership, vision and reputation have brought new talent to the agency and have been a catalyst in developing innovative new approaches and partnerships.

2008 Media All-Stars Honorees Include:

• National TV/Cable: Jason Kanefsky, Senior Vice President, Director of National Broadcast, MPG North America— As Senior Vice President/Director of National Broadcast, MPG North America, Kanefsky is responsible for the strategy, tactics and executional decisions for MPG’s National Broadcast department. He manages over $1 billion of media investments across all sectors of the advertiser mix.
• Digital (presented by BusinessWeek): Curt Hecht, President, VivaKi— As President of VivaKi, Hecht oversees the unit’s Digital Nerve Center, driving innovation and investment strategies across the Groupe’s digital and media networks Digitas, Starcom MediaVest Group, ZenithOptimedia and Denuo.
• Local TV/Cable: Mary Barnas, Executive Vice President, Director of Local Broadcast, Carat and General Manager Carat New York—Barnas brings 24 years of local broadcast experience to her clients and offers Carat clients creativity through integration. Barnas and her team have expanded Carat’s Local Broadcast Portfolio to include local online, promotions, branded entertainment and local program syndication.
• Radio: Natalie Swed Stone, U.S. Director of National Radio, OMD— Natalie Swed Stone guides all national radio investments for OMD’s clients and provides strategic counsel on effective use of the radio medium, including emerging technologies such as online, high definition, and satellite radio. Under her leadership, OMD has become the largest investor in the national radio arena.
• Out-of-Home: Jill Nickerson, Vice President, Director of Out-of-Home, Horizon Media— Jill Nickerson joined Horizon Media in January 2008 from MediaVest and has already rebuilt Horizon’s OOH talent infrastructure to deliver cutting edge and award-winning media campaigns with an OBIE win for best outdoor advertising for A&E’s Paranormal State for “The Whispering Wall.”
• Print: Jeff Fischer, SVP, Managing Director, Johnson & Johnson Print AOR Universal McCann-- As SVP and Managing Director at Universal McCann’s J3, Fischer oversees the company’s newly-acquired J&J Print AOR business and is integral in crafting the vision for the future of J&J’s print business, emphasizing accountability, engagement and connection to retail. A 10-year veteran of the media business, Fischer helped drive successful Print programs for world class brands including Crayola, Hallmark, Lego, Toys R Us, Procter & Gamble, Citibank and DuPont, among others.
• Planning: Lisa Weinstein, Managing Director, Mindshare Chicago— Lisa Weinstein is head of Mindshare Chicago, where she oversees a 160+ person operation including clients Wrigley, Kimberly-Clark, Unilever, BP and Motorola and billings over $1 billion. In her first 20 months in the role, her successes and contributions have landed her on Advertising Age’s and Crain’s Chicago Business’ ’40 Under 40’ lists.
• Research: Janice Finkel-Greene, Senior Vice President, Director of Futures & Technology, Initiative— As EVP, Director, Futures & Technology, Janice Finkel-Greene is one of the best-known and most highly regarded talent in media agency research today. Chairperson of the MRC TV Committee and the Arbitron Agency Advisory Council, Finkel-Greene’s outspoken and highly intelligent opinions are regularly sought out by the press and peers, placing her as a member of both AAAAs Research Committee (for whom she represented before a Congressional Committee in Washington, D.C.) and Nielsen’s Local Customer Alliance.
• Alternative Media: Tom Weeks, Senior Vice President, Entertainment Director, Starcom USA— Weeks is an 18-year veteran of the advertising and entertainment industries, overseeing brand management for many clients of the entertainment marketing team at full-service media agency Starcom USA. In his role, he helps harness the power of entertainment and trends to create emotionally engaging experiences between consumers and brands — with initiatives encompassing the creation and execution of content opportunities, entertainment property tie-ins, promotions, programming and celebrity endorsements.
• Rising Star: Colleen Soriano, Partner, Group Director, MEC Interaction— Colleen Soriano leads the online planning and buying for Colgate-Palmolive and Energizer Holdings. In the year and a half that she has been with MEC, she has helped grow the Energizer Holdings business by adding Playtex to the portfolio. She has also led strategic social media, mobile and gaming integration programs to deliver against client objectives - which can be challenging in the CPG space.

The complete report on Mediaweek’s 2008 Media All-Stars will be featured in the November 10 issue of Mediaweek and at www.Mediaweek.com.

For more information about the winners or to speak with an editor, please contact Lauren Fernstrom at 646.695.7051 or Lauren@rosengrouppr.com.

About Mediaweek

Mediaweek is the only advertising trade offering in-depth coverage of all the major ad-supported media—digital media, network TV, cable TV, syndication, TV stations, radio, print and out-of-home media. Tracking the multi-billion dollar ad industry, Mediaweek uncovers the latest ideas and trends in digital, print and electronic content, offering insights and analysis to help decision makers sift through the explosion of media choices and the rise of direct-to-consumer media channels. Mediaweek.com brings readers up-to-the-minute developments about media companies and content.

Mediaweek is published by Nielsen Business Media, part of The Nielsen Company, a global information and media company.

About AdweekMedia:

AdweekMedia is the premier information source for media, advertising and marketing industry news and analysis, providing an integrated product portfolio led by trusted brands Adweek, Mediaweek and Brandweek. Industry professionals in all stages of their careers turn to AdweekMedia’s digital and print properties, and leading executive conferences, for trusted content and interactive programs tailored to better serve their customers, build their network, and advance their market knowledge.

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