Warner Bros. Expands Tsujihara’s Profile

23 Sep, 2010 By: Erik Gruenwedel

Kevin Tsujihara

Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is taking on expanded responsibilities regarding overall studio operations, parent Time Warner Inc. announced.

Tsujihara, along with Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and Bruce Rosenblum, president of Warner Bros. Television Group, will form the newly created “Office of the President,” which reports directly to Warner Bros. CEO Barry Meyer beginning April 1, 2011.

Formation of the group is designed to allow the studio presidents to become “more engaged” in overall operations at the studio as it confronts ongoing changes in the marketplace, including convergence of content and distribution platforms. In addition, Meyer had his contract extended through 2013, while COO Alan Horn, beginning April 1, becomes a consultant.

“The formation of the Office of the President acknowledges the many contributions Jeff, Bruce and Kevin have made and the leadership they continue to show not only in their businesses but in our industry as well,” said Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, who initiated the changes. “Their vision will take Warner Bros. into the future, and we are very confident in their abilities to chart its strategic direction and define new areas of growth for the company.”

Veteran Warner home entertainment executive Tsujihara, who spearheaded the studio’s nascent digital efforts (Entertaindom.com) more than 10 years ago, has been instrumental in pushing transactional video-on-demand (VOD) day-and-date with new-release discs. He has also championed the prospect of premium VOD, believing consumers would be willing to pay extra for select early releases.

In a 2006 interview with Home Media Magazine, Tsujihara hinted at ongoing changes in theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, pay television, network television distribution windows. At the time, Tsujihara argued against maintaining artificial time barriers erected in home entertainment between packaged media and digital distribution.