| MUMBAI:
Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced that Sony Pictures Television International
(SPTI) president Michael Grindon will be leaving the company in March.
Grindon
says, "After 24 years managing the international television business for
SPE, I believe that it is time for a change. We are finishing this year with strong
growth, an experienced, talented management team in place and a clear vision for
future success. Now is the right moment for me to move on to the next challenge." Sony
Pictures' international television business has undergone tremendous growth since
1986, when Grindon joined the company. Today, SPT has 122 television channel feeds
in 140 countries reaching 435 million households, and has local language television
production operations in 20 territories that have produced over 9,000 hours of
programming. Sony Pictures also owns formats which are licensed in 67 countries.
Grindon
was a key member of the team that oversaw the launch of the channel in India in
the mid 1990s. He had a key role to play in the expansion of the television business.
He was one of those who had the vision to know that india along with China would
be key growth drivers for the company in the years to come. Sony
Pictures chairman and CEO Michael Lynton says, "Michael created our international
television business from the ground up. In recent years, under the leadership
of Michael and his team, we've seen steady growth in international television,
which has been particularly significant to the entire studio." Grindon
joined the company in 1986 and served in several executive positions in the international
group before being named president of Sony Pictures International Television (SPTI)
in 1995. SPTI was united with SPT last March. Previously, Grindon spent six years
at HBO where he was director of national accounts. Prior
to HBO, Grindon served as a marketing analyst in the consumer video division of
Time Life Films and as a systems analyst for Bechtel Corporation. | 
