National Geographic has hired Betsy Roach as director of licensing for television and film properties, a job that was previously outsourced to agency Lisa Marks and Associates. Based in Washington, D.C., Roach will oversee the development of product licensing programs for the network, Kids’ Programming and Production unit produces such animated shows as Adventures in Color, Loco Starburn and Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies.
Prior to joining National Geographic, Roach spent six years as the global licensing manager for the National Football League, where she was responsible for implementing licensing strategies for international markets, managing sales, heading marketing and merchandising efforts and developing product across a variety of categories including apparel and video games. Before that, she was the international marketing and sales manager for New Era Cap Company Inc.
In February of 2003, the National Geographic Society’s television and film arm hired Donna Friedman Meir to serve as president of kids’ programming and production. The unit dove into kids’ programming by first picking up Guy Vasilovich’s and Peter Burns’ Iggy Arbuckle, which first appeared as a comic strip in National Geographic Kids magazine, and continues to seek animated content to join its growing lineup of educational and entertaining shows for children. The National Geographic Channel is broadcast in 27 languages reaches more than 290 million households in 164 countries.
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