Italian American Network Formed
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Multi-Platform Media Company to Provide the World with Daily Window
on the Contemporary Italian and Italian American Experience
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Launching 100% English Broadband Video Platform as 1st
Media Component on April 17 Featuring Originally Produced Content
Celebrating Everything Italian
Original Webisodes to be Hosted by Noted Italian American
Celebrities Including Chazz Palminteri, Valerie Smaldone, Giorgio
Chinaglia, Rue DeBona, ‘Produce Pete’,
and Christopher Coppola
Founder and CEO, Tony Ceglio is Former New York Football Giants
Executive
PARAMUS, N.J. (Business Wire EON) April 17, 2008 --
The Italian American
Network (I A NET), a new, advertiser-supported, multi-platform
media company, has been formed to provide Americans, for the first time,
a vibrant daily window to the complete Italian and Italian American
experience. The new company has today launched its first media leg with
the premiere of its English language broadband video platform –
www.ItalianAmericanNetwork.com.
The company is also committed to developing and launching a high
definition (HD) linear television network, a video-on-demand (VOD)
offering, a mobile content platform, as well as home entertainment and
publishing initiatives. The announcement was made today by Italian
American Network Founder and CEO, Tony Ceglio.
A multiple Emmy Award winner, the Italian American Network’s
Mr. Ceglio remarked, “As someone who grew up
in an Italian American household, I have an intimate understanding of
the countless traditions and experiences that are part of a culture that
millions of Americans have fallen in love with throughout the years.
Embracing this experience, the Italian American Network will offer
compelling, contemporary lifestyle programming featuring the beauty,
pleasures and passions of a country and a culture that for more than 500
years have enriched our country with the same. There is no lifestyle
that has become more admired and envied than the Italian La Dolce Vita
– the sweet life.”
He added, “Beginning with its initial
broadband video launch, I A NET will celebrate everything Italian in an
entertaining and informative way, regardless of the media platform.”
As part of this mission, the Italian American Network will appeal to
both the 26 million Italian Americans as well as the nearly 70 million Italophiles
in the U.S. who dearly embrace the belief that “there
is a little Italian in all of us.” According
to a recent study conducted by the leading cable industry research
group, Horowitz Associates, Inc., “One in
five adults expresses a strong interest in watching a channel like the
Italian American Network.” As the first
multi-platform media company devoted exclusively to serving this
audience, I A NET will seek to serve both consumers and advertisers
across several electronic media platforms through HD programming that is
originally produced and developed by its in-house team, along with
co-productions with leading production companies worldwide.
Advertising & E-Commerce
The Italian American Network’s completely
English-language broadband video platform is advertiser-supported, with
charter sponsors including: the Piemonte Italy Regional Tourism Bureau,
Perillo Tours and ShopWineandDine.com. To celebrate the
launch, Perillo Tours is sponsoring a “Win a
Trip to Italy” sweepstakes, with the grand
prize winner receiving Perillo’s “Roman
Holiday” eight-day, six-night vacation for
two, including airfare, first-class hotel accommodations and more.
Also part of www.ItalianAmericanNetwork.com
is The
Italian Zone, an online retail and e-commerce platform that
will offer shopping opportunities for a variety of quality products from
Italy. The Italian Zone product line-up at launch will
range from foods and gifts to cosmetics and specialty items that can be
shipped directly to a home or office.
Original Programming
Initially, www.ItalianAmericanNetwork.com
will feature originally-produced, English-language programming, updated
daily and dedicated to multiple, in-depth content categories including: Food,
Travel, Sports, Cooking, Must-See
Videos, Phrase of the Day (Italian ones, of
course), Our Community, Restaurant Reviews, In
Shape (health and fit living), Comedy, Music,
Produce Pete, Video Blogs, Behind the
Scenes, and even… Italian
Superstitions.
Nearly 100 percent of the online content is originally produced, world
premiere programming, with video clips and webisodes ranging from 30
seconds to four minutes in duration per piece.
ItalianAmericanNetwork.com will also include blogs, podcasts,
interactive games and user generated content in the comedy, music and
other categories.
Valerie Smaldone, a five-time Billboard
Magazine award winner who is best known for successfully
holding the #1 position in the New York radio market as the midday host
of New York’s 106.7 FM, hosts Valerie,
an original video series that features candid and illuminating
one-on-one interview segments with Italian Americans who are leaders in
their chosen fields. Guests range from actors and athletes to musicians,
noted physicians and authors.
At launch, other celebrity hosts for IA Net online content will include
former star football (soccer) player Giorgio Chinaglia, star
actor/screenwriter Chazz Palminteri, television personality “Produce
Pete” Napolitano, “Biker
Chef” Christopher Coppola and
recording artist/television host Rue DeBona.
About Tony Ceglio
Mr. Ceglio, prior to becoming the founder and CEO of the Italian
American Network, had more than 30 years of experience in the broadcast
television industry as well as a long history with the New York Giants.
He joined the Giants staff as the team’s
first Film Director in 1976 and introduced such innovations as the
installation of a state-of-the-art film laboratory and editing facility.
He pioneered the process of in-house television program production in
the NFL while serving as the Giants first director of broadcasting.
During his 27-year tenure with the Giants, Mr. Ceglio designed the
premier video sports editing system in the NFL that was put online in
1986, the year that the Giants won their first Super Bowl championship.
In 1986, he was elected as Chairman of the National Football League
Video Directors Committee. In this role, he authored practices, policies
and rules for all NFL video and, today most of the NFL teams employ a
director of broadcasting who uses Mr. Ceglio’s
business model. Working with NFL Properties, Mr. Ceglio played a key
role on the task force which orchestrated a $17 million deal with Sony
for the league to switch from film to video. Mr. Ceglio, who has served
as executive producer on programs that have garnered 14 Emmy Awards,
went on to launch a sports film laboratory business based in Valhalla,
New York. In less than two years, the company had built a roster of more
than 100 clients.
About The Italian American Network
The new multi-platform media company was founded by its CEO Tony Ceglio
to both entertain and inform Americans by providing the nation’s
first and only daily window to the complete Italian and Italian American
experience. The Italian American Network has already received
overwhelming interest and support from the Italian American community
and, in turn, has established grassroots affiliations with millions of
Americans through such noted organizations as: National Italian American
Foundation, Order Sons of Italy, Columbus Citizens Foundation, National
Trust of Italy, Center for Italian and Italian American Culture, New
Jersey Italian American Heritage Commission, and UNICO, to name a few.
The company’s headquarters are based in
Paramus, New Jersey. For more information about The Italian American
Network, its executive team and its content, please visit www.ItalianAmericanNetwork.com
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