Catching Up With...
Catching Up With David Luner, Executive Vice-President of Consumer Products, Interactive and Mobile, FremantleMedia Enterprises North Americas

FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has undergone numerous changes as of late. The company is in acquisition mode. It has made management changes to support FME’s focus on the expansion of third-party brand representation, children’s programming and brand development, live events, digital content creation, and gaming initiatives. David Luner, the newly appointed executive vice-president of consumer products, interactive and mobile, FremantleMedia Enterprises North Americas, spoke with Royaltie$ about the company’s evolution.

Catching Up With...
Catching Up With Susan McLain, General Manager of The Baby Einstein Company

In 1996, mother Julie Aigner-Clark shot the first Baby Einstein video in her basement in Georgia. She did this for one simple reason—she wanted to share her love of the arts with her baby. Clark then began producing and selling the videos. By the end of the decade, a line of videos/DVDs, books, and CDs were available at retail. In addition, an online store was launched, which was still a relatively new concept at that time. In 2001, Disney acquired The Baby Einstein Company. Since then the brand has grown by leaps and bounds through licensing. It is now considered one of the must-haves for new parents. However, the brand is evolving to address the needs of a new generation of parents. Once known primarily for its DVDs, Baby Einstein will now be sold as a kit, which will include a DVD, CD, and either a board book or cards (depending on the kit).

Magazine Toys & Family Entertainment
Toys & Family Entertainment, March 2011