Batter Leaves M-Go, Joins Gracenote

25 Aug, 2014 By: Chris Tribbey

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John Batter, the CEO of transactional VOD entertainment service M-Go, has left his post to take the CEO role at music and video metadata company Gracenote. Batter will also be named EVP of Gracenote parent company Tribune Media.

“I think it’s a unique time to join Gracenote, and I’m really excited about what’s going on with the metadata business,” Batter told Home Media Magazine. “After running M-Go for three years, I’ve come to appreciate how critical metadata is, almost as important as the video and audio.”

Batter will be charged with setting the strategic direction for Gracenote’s core music and video metadata and technology businesses, and will lead the company’s day-to-day operations. He takes over the role Sept. 2, and will report to Peter Liguori, president and CEO of Tribune Media.

“As we look to develop and grow our metadata business, we decided to bring in a CEO with strong operational experience to lead this effort globally,” Liguori said. “Combined with his background running an on-demand video service and major studio division, John is a terrific fit to lead Gracenote into the future.

“John has a deep understanding of the business, the emerging platforms and players, and the role metadata has in reimagining TV and music experiences across the globe.”

Prior to taking on the CEO role at M-Go, which is jointly owned by DreamWorks Animation and Technicolor, Batter served as president of production at DreamWorks Animation, where he led the company’s worldwide production, post-production, technology and studio finance divisions. He’s also held leadership roles at Electronic Arts, serving as GM of the company’s mobile and studio groups.

“After its acquisition by Tribune, Gracenote has emerged as a driving force in entertainment data, serving as the backbone for many of the most important TV and music products and services today,” Batter said. “As more devices and entertainment services become connected and personalized to users, the importance of Gracenote’s metadata is becoming clear.

“This is a unique opportunity to join the talented team at Gracenote to drive the evolution of data and technologies into new services and features for our customers around the world.”

Tribune acquired Gracenote in February.

At M-Go, former company CTO Christophe Louvion has assumed the role of COO, and will oversee day-to-day leadership of the company. 

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