TV Guide Magazine Names Scott Crystal CEO
NEW YORK – December 10, 2008 – TV Guide Magazine has named publishing industry veteran Scott Crystal CEO and President of the company. Crystal assumes the role of CEO as part of the acquisition of TV Guide Magazine by OpenGate Capital, a private equity firm. The closing of the acquisition was announced Dec. 2.
Crystal brings significant experience to his role as CEO. He will be charged with overseeing all of the company’s business units, launching the new website (TVGuideMagazine.com) in Q1 2009 and evaluating strategic initiatives including acquisitions and expansions.
He formerly served as President and also as Publisher at TV Guide Magazine, overseeing advertising sales and marketing for all of the publishing group’s platforms. Prior to joining TV Guide Magazine, Crystal served as President and CEO of Gruner & Jahr USA Publishing’s Business Innovator Group, overseeing the entire P&L for Inc, Fast Company and all ancillary revenue streams including conferences, events, custom publishing, seminars and online units. He developed the strategy to integrate all business properties and assessed expansion opportunities via acquisitions and launches. His previous positions have also included executive vice president and publishing director of the Consumer Magazine Group at Ziff Davis Media, Inc. and vice president & publishing director at National Geographic Society, Inc.
“Scott has been a driving force at the company during his tenure at TV Guide Magazine, and his industry experience and knowledge have been instrumental in the company’s successful growth and development. Under Scott’s skilled leadership, I am confident that the company will continue to thrive and reach new heights” said Andrew Nikou, Founder and Managing Partner of OpenGate Capital. “Our investment in TV Guide Magazine is an important building block for OpenGate Capital’s newly formed media and entertainment platform.”
“TV Guide Magazine is a strong and trusted brand with a solid foundation, an innovative vision and aggressive goals,” said Crystal. “I am looking forward to working closely with the OpenGate Capital management team to further strengthen our position as an industry leader.”
Crystal added: “Through this acquisition, OpenGate has demonstrated a major commitment to investing in and growing the valued TV Guide Magazine brand. At a time when businesses across the board are facing economic uncertainty, and there is limited acquisition or expansion activity in the media space, I am excited by OpenGate Capital’s forward-thinking approach to driving the continued growth of this company.”
About TV Guide Magazine
TV Guide Magazine is one of the most popular weekly magazines in the country with more than 20 million weekly readers. From behind-the-scenes looks at broadcast, cable, and syndicated shows and their stars and characters; to sneak peeks at television’s most intriguing plotlines, TV Guide Magazine has every corner of the television medium covered. TV Guide Magazine is the premier source for entertainment news, guidance, and information about America’s most popular leisure time activity.
TV GUIDE (Dec. 10, 2008)
Tags: Scott Crystal, TV Guide