RRKIDZ, Home of Reading Rainbow, Lands Entertainment Executive Linda Benjamin

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Linda Benjamin has joined leading children's media company RRKIDZ, home of Reading Rainbow, as President of Global Strategy and Business Affairs, it was announced by company co-founders Mark Wolfe and LeVar Burton.   Benjamin, most recently Executive Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs for Relativity Media, LLC, will spearhead business development for the company, with a focus on strategic brand extensions, growth of new children's media consistent with the company's mission-driven objectives and development of international programming across all media. 

In a statement welcoming Benjamin, CEO Wolfe said, "Linda and I worked together 14 years ago and I have been impatiently waiting ever since to partner with her exceptional vision, uniquely diverse experience, brilliant deal-making skills and fiery passion to do good in the world.   She is already helping drive RRKIDZ to become the dominant force in enriching the lives of children around the world, which has always been our core mission."

In her first weeks at the company, Benjamin already has struck key strategic partnerships in consumer products, publishing and technology, and has begun planning the company's expansion into Latin America. 

"I'm thrilled and honored to join LeVar and Mark at this pivotal time for RRKIDZ," Benjamin said.  "I look forward to building innovative programs and partnerships that expand our product line and our media footprint in the U.S. and internationally, while always staying true to our mission of delivering the quality and value that Reading Rainbow families have trusted for over 30 years."

Prior to Relativity, where she focused on finance, international ventures and distribution, Benjamin was Executive Vice President and COO of Intermedia Films.  She joins RRKIDZ during a period of unprecedented growth as the leading children's educational media company.  In order to bring Reading Rainbow to the web with separate versions designed for consumers and educators, the company mounted a record-shattering Kickstarter campaign in 2014, attracting more than 105,000 backers and $6.4 million to bring the beloved brand to Every Child, Everywhere.  The Reading Rainbow subscription service, launched in 2012, is now in its third year as the #1 app in the educational space.            

ABOUT READING RAINBOW:

Earning 26 Emmys, the Peabody Award and more than 200 other broadcast awards, Reading Rainbow was created in 1983 as a children's television series designed to encourage reading.  By the end of the series in 2009, it had produced 155 episodes, all hosted by famed actor/director LeVar Burton, best known for his distinguished TV roles — most notably Kunta Kinte on Roots and Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation.  In 2011, Burton formed RRKIDZ with his business partner Mark Wolfe with the commitment to bring to the next generation of kids the finest reading and enrichment experiences found anywhere. They hold the global rights to the Reading Rainbow brand through a partnership with series creator WNED/Buffalo. Reading Rainbow is now a fully reimagined digital service, with the mission of bringing a passion for reading to Every Child, Everywhere--both at home and in the classroom.

Press contact:  Julie Nathanson   310-854-8191   [email protected]

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SOURCE Reading Rainbow