Paragon taps Lee, Randall

By KAREN MURRAY

Toronto-based Paragon Entertainment has tapped Spelling Television prexy Gary Randall to head up the company's U.S. TV operations. Also, Julie Lee has ankled Spelling's Vancouver office to head up Paragon's newly created West Coast production division.

Randall joins the company Aug. 1 in the new position of prexy of the U.S. division. The new role replaces a senior development post previously held by Dan Grodnik.

Before joining Spelling in 1991, Randall previously held positions include Orion Television prexy and drama programming veep at Norman Lear's Embassy Television.

In his new role, Randall will be responsible for all of Paragon Entertainment's American operations, including program development and sales for the U.S. market. Paragon CEO Jon Slan said they began wooing Randall after an "exhaustive executive search" pointed to him as an obvious choice.

"Our overall strategy is to find projects which are palatable or equally marketable in Canadian, American and foreign territories," Slan said, adding that Randall's expertise in U.S. TV production -- combined with his exposure to Canada via Spelling -- will be a "formidable addition to Paragon."

The appointments of Randall and Lee signal Paragon's decision to bolster production activities and corporate presence in the U.S. and Western Canada.

Paragon, which ranks among the leading Canadian production and distribution companies, made a move to go public last month.