Zodiak Rights Adds Unscripted Sales Exec

Mere days after Zodiak USA’s CEO Natalka Znak announced her departure, the company's rights arm has announced a new hire.  

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Janet Robinson has joined Zodiak Rights as vp sales and acquisitions, North America, where her primary focus will be selling its unscripted programs to the U..S and Canada. She will be based in Zodiak’s L.A. office and will report to acquisitions and co-productions senior vp Glen Hansen.

STORY: Zodiak USA CEO Natalka Znak to Exit

“Janet’s knowledge and experience managing sales revenues for strong entertainment and factual brands will be invaluable as we continue to expand our business activities in North America,” said Hansen.

Since Hansen joined Zodiak in 2012, he has inked partnerships with such production companies as Langley Productions (Cops) and Asylum Entertainment (Beverly Hills Pawn). He will remain focused on scripted and format sales, unscripted co-productions and third-party producer acquisitions and partnerships. Zodiak Rights, the company’s international distribution and rights arm, represents a catalog of more than 20,000 hours of content across all genres.

Before this, Robinson was sales manager at ITV Global Entertainment for more than seven years, managing sales and programming revenue across North America and the company’s distribution partnership with Animal Planet/Discovery Enterprises.

A replacement for Znak, who was CEO for less than a year, has not yet been named. Whoever assumes the position will be tasked with managing a slate that includes ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap and truTV's Hardcore Pawn.