NBC UNIVERSAL TEAMS WITH DIGITAL RAILROAD, INC. TO LAUNCH WEBSITE FOR THE STUDIO'S NEW ONLINE DIGITAL IMAGE DISTRIBUTION AND LICENSING INITIATIVE
NBC Universal Photo Bank Online Archive Launches July 24
PASADENA, Calif. -� July 21, 2006 �- NBC Universal joins with Digital Railroad Inc.
to launch the website for the studio's new online image asset distribution and licensing initiative, it was announced today by Ray Slay, Vice President, NBC Universal Photography and New Media and Evan Nisselson, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Railroad. The online archive is called NBC Universal Photo Bank, and its internet URL is www.nbcuphotobank.com. The site officially launches Monday, July 24.
NBC Universal selected Digital Railroad's technology to archive and distribute NBC Universal digitized photo assets to enable the next step in the studio's recently announced digital media distribution and licensing initiative, directed by Kevin Fitzgerald, Vice President, Digital Media Distribution for NBC Universal, who reports directly to Slay.
With the creation of this new business unit, NBC Universal becomes the first major television or film studio to manage and market its own photo licensing and distribution strategy, rather than simply bundling its content as part of an outside agency offering. The digital media distribution group will actively develop, digitize, manage, distribute, license and market NBC Universal's exclusive and valuable photo archive � which includes millions of images, dating back to the 1940s up to and including current images from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
"As we move into the next phase of this exciting business venture, we are pleased to announce our alliance with Digital Railroad. Their feature-rich digital technology platform enables NBC Universal to display and protect our valuable photo assets while we provide our valued clients and photo buyers with an efficient and easy to use digital image archive search, delivery and workflow solution," said Slay. "The creativity and flexibility of Digital Railroad makes it the perfect choice for archiving and distributing NBC Universal's photo assets online."
"We are honored that NBC Universal has selected Digital Railroad's robust platform for their innovative new NBCU PhotoBank initiative," said Nisselson. "There is incredible synergy between our visionary teams. We are thrilled to provide the NBC photo production and licensing sales teams as well as their image buyers with the most efficient solution online for managing, distributing and selling photography around the world."
Supporting the NBC Universal online distribution and licensing initiative is a newly-created New York-based sales team under the direction of Douglas Root, who reports to Fitzgerald.
For more information or to license NBC Universal photographs, please visit the website at www.nbcuphotobank.com or email Douglas.Root@nbcuni.com.
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.
Digital Railroad is the trusted provider of online technology and services for the global community of buyers and sellers of professional photography. Membership currently spans 49 countries and includes over 17,000 registered buyers. Digital Railroad members actively manage more than 3 million images on topics such as sports, news, commercial, nature, and stock. Digital Railroad's unique, comprehensive suite of online services transforms the way photographers and agencies manage, market, and sell images to photo buyers worldwide. For more information, visit www.digitalrailroad.net
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