FOX TAPS DUNN AS VIDEO HEAD CHOICE REFLECTS SECTOR'S GROWTH.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

CENTURY CITY - Twentieth Century Fox on Tuesday named studio veteran Mike Dunn president of its home entertainment division, an appointment that comes at a time when home video at the major studios is under more scrutiny than ever.

The appointment of Dunn follows a solid performance in 2002 for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, which had five consecutive DVD titles debut at the top of the sales charts, led by the blockbusters ``Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones'' and ``Ice Age.''

Tom Rothman and Jim Gianopulos, chairmen of Fox Filmed Entertainment, praised Dunn as an aggressive innovator who is a proven winner in the home video industry.

``Mike is tremendously experienced and very, very innovative, and that is a rare combination,'' Rothman said. ``He's always looking for better and new ways to skin the cat.''

Dunn replaces Patricia Wyatt, one of three home video division heads to depart their respective studios in recent months. The shake-ups are largely due to the increased importance of the booming home video industry, fueled by the explosion of DVD, to a studio's bottom line.

The transition from ancillary business to major revenue stream has resulted in some power struggles and other tumult. In addition to Wyatt's departure at Fox, former Warner Bros. chief Warren Lieberfarb, widely known in the industry as the ``father of DVD,'' was ousted from his longtime post. That stunning development was quickly followed by the sudden exit of Paramount's Eric Doctorow.

``The pressure is really on and it's critical for the division to position itself as a growth machine and maximize the product we get from the studio,'' Dunn said. ``There is a really close relationship between the theatrical and video divisions.''

Dunn said he plans to exploit all of the assets of News Corp., Fox's parent company, in future home video releases. In addition to new feature- film releases, other home video successes have been titles from the studio's film library, as well as DVD collections of such Fox television network shows as ``The Simpsons'' and ``24.''

Rothman said there is ``no question'' that home video is the leading profit center in the entertainment business now, which makes the selection of the division head all the more critical.

``It is essential to maximize your home entertainment returns and grow your business in innovative ways,'' Rothman said. ``We're confident Mike will be able to do that.''

Dunn, 42, began his career at Fox in 1987 as a manager of marketing. Most recently, he spent five years as the home video division's executive vice president of sales and marketing after his tenure heading Fox Home Entertainment's international operations.

``It's very un-Hollywood to stay at one company for a long period of time, but Fox and I have really had a good fit,'' Dunn said. ``I like the spirit here. There is a great culture that makes it a really fun place to work.''

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) DUNN