Laikin Proposes New Board of Directors for J2 Communications, Inc. / National Lampoon to Be Elected at Special Meeting of Shareholders
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Daniel S. Laikin today announced that he is proposing a new slate of directors to replace the existing Board of Directors of J2 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: JTWO), at a special meeting of the shareholders of J2 that he has called. J2, which owns National Lampoon, is a multi-media entertainment company creating an interactive comedy network on its website, NationalLampoon.com. Laikin sits on the current board of J2, and together with his partner, Paul Skjodt, owns approximately 24.8% of the company's outstanding shares. Laikin also seeks to change the name of J2 to National Lampoon, Inc.
Laikin is not satisfied with the existing management or board of J2. "The company is not maximizing the value of one of its most significant assets, the National Lampoon brand, and has not adequately pursued opportunities to exploit National Lampoon and the dynamic content they have created on the Internet, in the entertainment and publishing industries," says Laikin. "I believe the investment community lacks sufficient confidence in the company and current management due to its inability to fully leverage its web, television, film and related licensing opportunities in the entertainment industry," Laikin explained.
"The new board will bring a tremendous wealth of background and relationships to move the company forward," continued Laikin. "We hope to reach out to the alumni of National Lampoon, which presently span the entertainment, publishing and creative communities, to assemble a powerful Advisory Committee to help restore National Lampoon to its place as the premier brand in comedy."
The new board members proposed by Laikin include Errol Gerson, the former Director of New Media at Creative Artists Agency, Charlie Fink, former Senior Vice-President and Chief Creative Officer of AOL Studios Greenhouse Networks and current President and CEO of eAgents.com, Reno R. Rolle, CEO of Synergy Worldwide, Lenny Young, President and CEO of iNetNow, Skjodt and Laikin himself.
Gerson left CAA, one of the largest talent and literary agencies in the world representing many motion picture, television and music talents, last month to become a principal of Four Leaf Management, LLC with Laikin. "Errol's extensive experience in maximizing the value of traditional entertainment properties in New Media will be a tremendous asset to the company," says Laikin, "he has the ability and vision to help lead the company into the new millennium."
At CAA, Gerson was responsible for integrating New Media into the agency's existing core business and signed multi-million dollar CAA representation deals with, among others, IPIX, Ampex, StarMedia (STRM), Terra.com, Electronic Arts (ERTS), Michael Flatley, Hugh Downs, Soymujer.com, and Extern Media. From 1993 to 1997, Gerson served as President and CEO of cow.Interactive (cow.com), one of the first U.S. interactive design firms. Clients included, among others, Mercedes Benz (DAJ), Sony (SNE), Motorola (MOT), Nissan (NSANY), JVC, Coca-Cola (KO), and Sun Microsystems (SUNW). From 1980 to 1993, Gerson was Managing Partner of Gerson, Schur, Kehr, Sugarman and Levinrad, a business management firm that he founded, which represented entertainment executives and music and other entertainment creative talent. Gerson previously served as Vice-President, Finance for California Federal Savings and Loan Association, and as a financial consultant at Foresight Systems, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johns Manville Corp. (JM).
Fink is the founder, President and CEO of eAgents.com, an Internet start-up company that delivers aggregated information (news headlines, sports scores, stock quotes, TV listings, etc.) and entertainment (jokes, comics) in a single daily e-mail. Prior to founding eAgents, Fink was Senior Vice-President and Chief Creative Officer of AOL Studios Greenhouse Networks, a division of America Online (AOL) where he created and launched some of the Internet's leading content brands, including Love@AOL (Love.com), Electra (sold to Oxygen Media), Entertainment Asylum, and Santa's Home Page (which he also co-produced with the late Brandon Tartikof and Will Vinton as an ABC TV special). Fink began his career in the Animation Division of Walt Disney Pictures (DIS), where he later served as Vice-President, Creative Affairs. In his six years with Disney, Fink was responsible for the development and production of live-action and animated pictures, including "Beauty and The Beast," "Aladdin," and "The Lion King," which was based on his original idea. In 1992, Fink left Disney to become Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Virtual World Entertainment, a software developer and location-based entertainment company owned by Tim Disney. That company was later sold to Microsoft Corporation (MSFT).
Rolle is the CEO of Synergy Worldwide, Inc., a diverse product engineering, design and marketing company. Conceived in 1997, the firm has quickly garnered considerable industry recognition for its cutting edge new product technologies and keen assessment of consumer trends. Prior to forming Synergy Worldwide, Rolle co-founded a direct response television joint venture with Home Shopping Network, Inc. (USAI) where he was responsible for the genesis of numerous extremely successful products both in the United States and in television markets worldwide.
Young is the founder, President and CEO of iNetNow, Inc. (iNetNow.com), a revolutionary person-to-person portal that provides access to the Internet via the telephone and a professional surfing expert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Prior to founding iNetNow, Young was employed at GTE and IBM in various engineering and data networking capacities. In 1990, he began working in the entertainment industry, producing and/or developing major motion pictures including "James and the Giant Peach" and "Chicken Run." Young has worked with leading directors and actors such as Richard Attenborough, Robert Redford, Roland Joffe and Pierce Brosnan. In addition to creative development of several feature film projects, he was involved in raising over $100 million in production financing from sources that include Dreamworks, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) and Paramount Pictures.
Laikin currently serves as a managing partner of Four Leaf Management, LLC, a closely held investment company, concentrating on the startup and financing of high tech, Internet and entertainment-related companies. He is currently an advisor to the board of Focus Affiliates, Inc. and iNetNow, and co-Chairman of Biltmore Homes, Inc., an Indiana-based home building and real estate development company.
Skjodt also serves as a partner of Four Leaf Management, and has served as President of Biltmore Homes since founding the company with Laikin in 1993.Laikin Proposes New Board of Directors for J2 Communications, Inc. / National Lampoon to Be Elected at Special Meeting of Shareholders
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Daniel S. Laikin today announced that he is proposing a new slate of directors to replace the existing Board of Directors of J2 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: JTWO), at a special meeting of the shareholders of J2 that he has called. J2, which owns National Lampoon, is a multi-media entertainment company creating an interactive comedy network on its website, NationalLampoon.com. Laikin sits on the current board of J2, and together with his partner, Paul Skjodt, owns approximately 24.8% of the company's outstanding shares. Laikin also seeks to change the name of J2 to National Lampoon, Inc.
Laikin is not satisfied with the existing management or board of J2. "The company is not maximizing the value of one of its most significant assets, the National Lampoon brand, and has not adequately pursued opportunities to exploit National Lampoon and the dynamic content they have created on the Internet, in the entertainment and publishing industries," says Laikin. "I believe the investment community lacks sufficient confidence in the company and current management due to its inability to fully leverage its web, television, film and related licensing opportunities in the entertainment industry," Laikin explained.
"The new board will bring a tremendous wealth of background and relationships to move the company forward," continued Laikin. "We hope to reach out to the alumni of National Lampoon, which presently span the entertainment, publishing and creative communities, to assemble a powerful Advisory Committee to help restore National Lampoon to its place as the premier brand in comedy."
The new board members proposed by Laikin include Errol Gerson, the former Director of New Media at Creative Artists Agency, Charlie Fink, former Senior Vice-President and Chief Creative Officer of AOL Studios Greenhouse Networks and current President and CEO of eAgents.com, Reno R. Rolle, CEO of Synergy Worldwide, Lenny Young, President and CEO of iNetNow, Skjodt and Laikin himself.
Gerson left CAA, one of the largest talent and literary agencies in the world representing many motion picture, television and music talents, last month to become a principal of Four Leaf Management, LLC with Laikin. "Errol's extensive experience in maximizing the value of traditional entertainment properties in New Media will be a tremendous asset to the company," says Laikin, "he has the ability and vision to help lead the company into the new millennium."
At CAA, Gerson was responsible for integrating New Media into the agency's existing core business and signed multi-million dollar CAA representation deals with, among others, IPIX, Ampex, StarMedia (STRM), Terra.com, Electronic Arts (ERTS), Michael Flatley, Hugh Downs, Soymujer.com, and Extern Media. From 1993 to 1997, Gerson served as President and CEO of cow.Interactive (cow.com), one of the first U.S. interactive design firms. Clients included, among others, Mercedes Benz (DAJ), Sony (SNE), Motorola (MOT), Nissan (NSANY), JVC, Coca-Cola (KO), and Sun Microsystems (SUNW). From 1980 to 1993, Gerson was Managing Partner of Gerson, Schur, Kehr, Sugarman and Levinrad, a business management firm that he founded, which represented entertainment executives and music and other entertainment creative talent. Gerson previously served as Vice-President, Finance for California Federal Savings and Loan Association, and as a financial consultant at Foresight Systems, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johns Manville Corp. (JM).
Fink is the founder, President and CEO of eAgents.com, an Internet start-up company that delivers aggregated information (news headlines, sports scores, stock quotes, TV listings, etc.) and entertainment (jokes, comics) in a single daily e-mail. Prior to founding eAgents, Fink was Senior Vice-President and Chief Creative Officer of AOL Studios Greenhouse Networks, a division of America Online (AOL) where he created and launched some of the Internet's leading content brands, including Love@AOL (Love.com), Electra (sold to Oxygen Media), Entertainment Asylum, and Santa's Home Page (which he also co-produced with the late Brandon Tartikof and Will Vinton as an ABC TV special). Fink began his career in the Animation Division of Walt Disney Pictures (DIS), where he later served as Vice-President, Creative Affairs. In his six years with Disney, Fink was responsible for the development and production of live-action and animated pictures, including "Beauty and The Beast," "Aladdin," and "The Lion King," which was based on his original idea. In 1992, Fink left Disney to become Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Virtual World Entertainment, a software developer and location-based entertainment company owned by Tim Disney. That company was later sold to Microsoft Corporation (MSFT).
Rolle is the CEO of Synergy Worldwide, Inc., a diverse product engineering, design and marketing company. Conceived in 1997, the firm has quickly garnered considerable industry recognition for its cutting edge new product technologies and keen assessment of consumer trends. Prior to forming Synergy Worldwide, Rolle co-founded a direct response television joint venture with Home Shopping Network, Inc. (USAI) where he was responsible for the genesis of numerous extremely successful products both in the United States and in television markets worldwide.
Young is the founder, President and CEO of iNetNow, Inc. (iNetNow.com), a revolutionary person-to-person portal that provides access to the Internet via the telephone and a professional surfing expert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Prior to founding iNetNow, Young was employed at GTE and IBM in various engineering and data networking capacities. In 1990, he began working in the entertainment industry, producing and/or developing major motion pictures including "James and the Giant Peach" and "Chicken Run." Young has worked with leading directors and actors such as Richard Attenborough, Robert Redford, Roland Joffe and Pierce Brosnan. In addition to creative development of several feature film projects, he was involved in raising over $100 million in production financing from sources that include Dreamworks, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) and Paramount Pictures.
Laikin currently serves as a managing partner of Four Leaf Management, LLC, a closely held investment company, concentrating on the startup and financing of high tech, Internet and entertainment-related companies. He is currently an advisor to the board of Focus Affiliates, Inc. and iNetNow, and co-Chairman of Biltmore Homes, Inc., an Indiana-based home building and real estate development company.
Skjodt also serves as a partner of Four Leaf Management, and has served as President of Biltmore Homes since founding the company with Laikin in 1993. |
