Consultants

Joan is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has broad expertise in the public television programming marketplace, often working with independent producers. Until January 2003, Joan was a vice-president with the Central Educational Network (CEN) and its Continental Program Marketing (CPM) division, both part of the American Telecommunications Group (ATG), based in Chicago. There, she was responsible for identifying, negotiating and contracting for domestic and international programming for sales to United States public television stations. Joan also supervised the programming and broadcast operations staff, represented CPM and its client stations at regional, national and international meetings and program markets; planned program strategies with local public television stations; and organized and administered Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Independent Television Services Regional Program Funds in cooperation with CPB and ITS. Prior to CEN, Joan was the Director of Program Scheduling for the PBS affiliate KCET-TV, in Los Angeles.

Some of Joan’s recent consulting clients have included Marketplace Europe, Market to Market (sales for Iowa Public Television), the public television series World of Dogs (distribution and carriage) 2003, and Bridges TV (a Muslim-American subscriber based channel). Joan has also served on the CPB Multicultural Board, which oversaw a program proposal system for assuring and sustaining diversity in the public television system.

Joan was a reader/panelist for judging television program proposals for the CPB, the ITVS; the public broadcasting minority consortia; Marketplace (European and Middle Eastern); EuroAim (European). Joan was a guest lecturer for the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, through the Hearst Visiting Professionals Program.

Since 1993, Julian Chiabella and his media consulting firm --Bellaventures LLC -- have been serving both ends of the content creation and delivery pipeline, working with the program development, sponsorship and distribution needs of the producer and distributor communities. Julian attends major international media and entertainment content markets, including MIPTV and MIPCOM [Cannes France], NATPE [Las Vegas], Real Screen [Washington DC] and SilverDocs [Silver Spring] to view programs and dialogue with producers, distributors, ad agencies, and program funders.

Previously, Julian had 18 years in key media positions with various top public stations, including WHYY/Philadelphia, WPBT/Miami [Nightly Business Report], Maryland Public Broadcasting [Wall $treet Week], WEDU/Tampa [Yanni in Concert] and the New Jersey Network [Groucho-A Life in Revue].

Among the sponsorship clients that he had identified, developed and retained are: Pacific Telesis Group, GE Financial Services, Franklin-Templeton Funds, AG Edwards, Sunoco, Massachusetts Financial Services, Carl Zeiss, Toyota, AMTRAK, M&M Mars, National Foods [Hebrew National] and Carillon Importers [Gran Marnier].

Among the staff consulting or content distribution clients Chiabella has worked with are Reuters, GE, Discovery/TLC, PBS, Ovation, TVE/Spain, Telefe/Argentina. He has acted as media consultant for the National Association of Home Builders [Washington DC].

Chiabella is a graduate of Temple University, and a former U.S. Air Force Captain [Vietnam-era veteran]. He lives in the Philadelphia suburb of Mount Laurel with his tri-lingual attorney wife/business partner and their three children.

Jim Scalem’s long career in public television began in 1958 at the San Francisco station KQED where he rose from the proverbial mailroom to become Program Manager, and Director and Executive Producer of Local & National Cultural Programming, as well as Executive Producer of On-Air Fundraising and Promotion. In the early ‘80’s Jim produced 50 live tennis telecasts for PBS; and received two local Emmys for An Hour with Joan Baez (one of three Joan Baez concert specials he produced and directed) and the creation and production of one-minute biographies called Spaces Between Programs. Jim also produced the live KQED telecast of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Sing It Yourself Messiah for 7 years and the live telecasts of the San Francisco Opera’s Opera In the Park concerts from Golden Gate Park for 7 years.

From 1991 through 1998 Jim headed the Fundraising Programming Department at PBS. During that period, Jim was responsible for creating, funding and administering more that 350 “pledge” programs for the PBS system. Among the programs Jim brought to the screen during his tenure were: the 1994 and 1998 Three Tenors Concerts from Los Angeles and Paris, Riverdance, Les Miserables in Concert, two Peter, Paul and Mary specials, three Victor Borge Then and Now specials, The Eagles Reunion Concert “Hell Freezes Over,” The Moody Blues at Red Rocks, John Tesh at Red Rocks, Yanni at the Acropolis, Michael Crawford in Concert, Andre Rieu –the Vienna I Love (and three other Rieu Specials), Helmut Lotti Goes Classic, various Frank Sinatra Specials, Perry Como’s Irish Christmas, and five Lawrence Welk Specials. Jim also pioneered the highly successful “self-help” genre of fundraising programming by commissioning and acquiring programs featuring John Bradshaw, Deepak Chopra, menopause expert Dr. Judith Reichman and others.

In 1998, Jim became Executive VP of Media Productions International, where he produced the specials, Bobby Darin – Beyond the Song, Patty Page – the Singin’ Rage, and A Salute to British Comedy on American Public TV. In 2000, Jim began producing programs under his own banner, first serving as consulting producer for Hawaii – Songs of Aloha, a PBS fundraising special, and then producing Robert Mirabal-Music from a Painted Cave, a Native American concert/dance special, in 2001. In 2002, Jim finished co-producing a performance-driven tribute to The Legendary Liberace. Recently, Jim was Syndication and Station Relations Manager for Boston’s Reality Check Media and Hay House Publishing for two national public television fundraising specials featuring best-selling author and lecturer Dr. Wayne Dyer. Jim also managed the PTV station syndication effort on behalf of two Pledge Specials, Tennessee Ernie Ford Sings His Favorite Hymns and A Tennessee Ernie Ford Family Christmas.

Bill Schwartz is the Managing Director of Schwartz & Company, a producer and packager of "event-oriented" entertainment programming. His company develops, acquires and produces documentaries, specials and animated productions, for both television and DVD release. From 1986 through 1998, Bill was Senior VP of Acquisitions and Productions with UAV Corporation, a leading worldwide video and multimedia manufacturer, worldwide distributor, and production company.

As a producer, Bill has several exercise videos to his credit (featuring Rachel Hunter, Dan Iassicon and Kathy Ireland), as well as the direct-to-video animation films Snow White and the Magic Mirror, Young Pocahantas, Secret of the Hunchback, Christmas in Cartoontown, Amazing Feats of Young Hercules, Secret of Mulan, Moses: Egypt's Greatest Prince, and Secret of Anastasia.

In addition, Bill has produced a feature film for children, Operation Dalmatian: The Big Adventure, and such event-oriented entertainment television specials Terror on the Titanic, Shocking Assassinations of the Millennium, Killer Asteroids, Holy Batmania, The Mystery of Moses, Aliens Exposed, Armageddon, Worst Space Disasters, Worst Air Disasters, Worst Sea Disasters, and Frank Sinatra and the Fabulous Rat Pack, and Bob Hope's Funniest Moments.

Bill also specializes in the creation and rollout of national sales and marketing campaigns, for both domestic and international markets. Bill is based in Santa Monica, California.

David Balsiger is a television producer-director, international rights supervisor, advertising executive, and author of 39 major literary works including 23 nonfiction books. Additionally, he is the co-partner in Grizzly Adams Productions Inc. (named after the company’s Grizzly Adams TV Series), the producers of family-friendly TV specials, series and videos including the current PAX-TV Network series Encounters with the Unexplained, and a new series, Xtreme Mysteries. His other recent PAX-TV specials include The Search for Heaven, Secrets of the Bible Code Revealed, Millennial Fears: Fact or Fiction?, How to Prepare Your Family for Y2K, Bible Code: The Future and Beyond, The Quest for Noah's Ark, The Bible's Greatest Secrets Revealed, The Bible's Greatest Miracles, Uncovering the Truth About Jesus and The Miracle and Wonder of Prayer.  He was also the director on the highly successful special, George W. Bush: Faith in the White House.

While at Group Productions in Colorado, he also produced the Ancient Secrets of the Bible Collectors Series, a 13-part series that scientifically explores many of the mysterious biblical accounts thought to be myths; Angels Sent on Assignment, a 6-part series that explores the angel phenomenon; and The Incredible Power of Prayer, a 4-part series which explores the impact of prayer on American events during the past 500 years. He was the chief researcher and field producer-director on Ancient Secrets of the Bible, The Incredible Discovery of Noah's Ark, Ancient Secrets of the Bible II, and Mysteries of the Ancient World ― four prime time TV specials for CBS Television that aired from 1992-94.  The three biblical specials pulled two first and two third-place positions in the evening Nielsen Ratings during their "Sweeps Week" airings.

His well-known multimillion copy best selling books In Search of Noah's Ark (Sunn) and The Lincoln Conspiracy (New American Library) have both been made into major movies of the same titles. He has also recently co-authored the books The Incredible Power of Prayer (Tyndale, 1998), Ancient Secrets of the Bible (Dell, 1994), The Incredible Discovery of Noah's Ark (Dell, 1995), and Face in the Mirror (Bridge Publishing, 1993).  Three of his previous books were million copy bestsellers including The Lincoln Conspiracy, In Search of Noah's Ark, and The Satan Seller.

His books, and video-TV projects have won more than 100 national awards for journalistic, literary, or production excellence.  In 1994, he received the National Faith & Freedom Award bestowed by the Religious Heritage of America Foundation.  The award is given for lifetime achievement in communicating America's religious heritage through journalism, radio, television, literature, and film production. Mr. Balsiger is listed in 19 achievement directories and is also the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from Lincoln Memorial University for the research contained in his book The Lincoln Conspiracy — a 1977 book that was on the New York Times Best Sellers List for 22 weeks. Dave is based in Loveland, Colorado.

 

As head of Manhattan-based consulting company Video Publishing Resources, Jim Lyle has guided clients through the strategic media shifts across multiple distribution channels: home video, international television, domestic cable television, the education market, and online.

Jim's range of client services including strategy and project management, product planning and development, program licensing, contract negotiation and delivery, co-production development and financing, program licenses, and more. Some of Jim's projects include such history programs as Secret Aircraft of WWII or Saddam and The Third Reich, and biographies on Tina Turner, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Sean Connery, and Bono, to name a few.

Jim's clients have included London-based Alba Media International, a content supplier to A&E Networks' Biography/Bio Channel and The History Channel; CWK Networks, an Atlanta-based international content supplier on teen health and well-being issues; Annenberg Media, the Washington, DC based resource of curriculum courseware for students and faculty; Reda Productions; New York City-based video label Lance Entertainment; Ambrose Video Publishing; American Public Television/APT Worldwide; Encyclopaedia Britannica Educational Publishing; PMI; Disney Education Productions, and more. Lyle is a Cine Golden Eagle panel head and active in Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, Connecticut.