‘American Idol,’ 19 Entertainment Owner Relaunches as Core Media Group

CKx, which owns the rights to American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, has relaunched itself as Core Media Group. Along with the rebranding, President Marc Graboff announced Thursday that the company has hired four new management executives.

“Our focus now is to take Core to the next level,” Graboff said in statement. “This means everything from creative content and new means of distribution to changing the way we partner with sponsors, producers and artists to grow our business. These executives have the broad institutional knowledge combined with a deep understanding of how to accomplish all of our goals, and I am thrilled to welcome them to Core.”

The hires are Peter Hurwitz to the post of executive vp, general counsel; Kay Straky as executive vp, human resources; Matt Apfel as chief digital officer; and Jason Morey as executive vp and worldwide head of music for 19 Entertainment.

This month, THR reported Morey’s hire after the company’s New York-based chief operating officer Kraig Fox left the company. Apollo Global Management Llc. acquired the company last year.

Graboff, who joined CKx in January, said the company intends “to grow the assets we have, and cultivate new ones, to become a real presence as a platform agnostic producer and owner of content.”

Core’s assets also include Elvis Presley Enterprises and Muhammad Ali Enterprises. 19 Entertainment serves as its production, recording, touring and artist management arm in addition to developing and producing Idol and SYTYCD.

E-mail: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com; Twitter: @TheRealJethro