Marinelli upped to exec VP at Buena Vista TV
BVTV vet now among highest-ranking femmes at Disney
Marinelli has worked at BVTV for more than 10 years, serving since 1992 as senior vice president in charge of BVTV's sales force for syndication, basic cable, pay-per-view and domestic pay TV programming. In her new position, she'll keep those duties and add responsibility for supervising BVTV's research department and marketing and sales strategies for pay-per-view and pay TV.
Marinelli, who reports to BVTV president Mort Marcus, is credited with playing a key role in the recent sale of BVTV's high-profile new latenight strip with Keenen Ivory Wayans to the 22 Fox O&Os. The deal was a surprising success for BVTV, given that Fox-owned Twentieth TV is developing its own latenight strip with Earvin (Magic) Johnson.
Marinelli also developed the sales strategy for BVTV's hit off-net sitcom "Home Improvement," which the studio claims is the second-highest-grossing off-net sitcom in history, bringing in more than $3 million an episode, according to industry estimates.
Marinelli began her tenure at BVTV in 1985 as an account executive, and she worked as vice president and Western regional manager at BVTV, responsible for sales activities in 13 Western states, before rising to senior VP. Prior to BVTV, she worked as associate director of programming for the rep firm Katz TV. The position Marinelli is vacating is not expected to be filled.
