MPAA still seeking industry leader: who could be the next Jack Valenti?

It's not easy to replace an icon--just ask the Motion Picture Association of America, the lobbying group that represents the major motion picture studios in Washington.

Ever since longtime MPAA President and Chief Executive Jack Valenti let the group know in 2002 that he was thinking of retiring, his departure has loomed over Walt Disney Co., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures, the seven companies he represents.

But Valenti's declaration in March that he wanted to leave by the end of the summer has quickened the process of seeking a successor.

"I hope we'll have it done by (September)." said a studio source, who asked not to be named.

The 82-year-old Valenti, Hollywood's man in the capital since he left the administration of Lyndon Johnson in 1966, has seen the movie industry through some of its most radical changes, from fighting government censorship to the creation of a rating system and the current battle against digital piracy.

Valenti wasn't available for comment. The studios refuse to comment publicly on the search for fear of being seen as trying to influence an already difficult process. Neither the studios nor the MPAA have put a specific timeline on when they expect to have a successor in place.

"We won't comment on that," said Rich Taylor, vice president of public affairs for the MPAA.

Privately, however, some studio executives said the mix of political and industry understanding possessed by Valenti has proven hard to duplicate.

"Previously they were looking for people with experience on the Hill," said another studio insider. "Now it's a combination of both. For all you can say about Jack, he's a hard act to follow."

Known for his elegant oration and crisp presentation, the studios must find someone who is equal parts soothsayer, consensus builder and firebrand.

"You need someone who's high profile, the kind of spokesperson everybody recognizes," the insider said. "It's going to have to be somebody who can achieve that--especially the presence. Even if (the new person) is the best brain in the industry, if he's not at ease before the press and public and government, it won't work."

Process a pain

In 2002, the MPAA set up an internal committee to find its next leader. Based on the position's perks, there shouldn't have been a shortage of applicants. Valenti has one of the most star-studded jobs on either coast and an annual salary of $1.3 million--one of the highest for an industry lobbyist.

Toward the end of 2003, things seemed to be going fine; the MPAA offered the job to Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, R-La., a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. But Tauzin, who has also been heavily courted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, turned down the offer.

After that, the MPAA tendered the job to another Louisianan--Democratic Sen. John Breanx. He also declined.

Rejected by the two legislators, the MPAA reworked its strategy.

In February, it hired Chicago-based executive search firm Spencer Stuart Management Consultants N.V.--a big step for an industry known for handling its personnel affairs internally.

"Now it's a (process) we're doing like any other organization, which is bringing in a search firm and having them bring candidates through and provide recommendations," said Taylor. "Hopefully the machine, on the other end, will spit out a successor. Hopefully."

Spencer Stuart has representatives in its L.A., New York and Washington offices involved in the process, according to a report in The Hill, a newspaper covering Congress. Judy Havas, who heads the firm's L.A. media and communications practice, did not return a call.

With headhunters in the mix, the search has become more formulaic. Instead of wining and dining a potential candidate, chief executives at the studios assemble in two groups, depending on their availability, to interview candidates Spencer Stuart presents.

"There's a recognition that you have to approach this in a professional way," said a studio source. "Not that it's unprofessional to just think of people. But if you really want to extend out and find the right people, it's really the best way."

Finding consensus

The involvement of the search firm may ease the front end of the process, but agreement among the CEOs of the seven constituent members remains a high hurdle.

Though they have common goals when it come to protecting their interests in Washington, different agendas have made it notoriously hard to bring them to consensus.

"Imagine trying to placate and satisfy all those people when you think about it," said the studio source. "A lot of them have really tough, demanding personalities. You've got a handful who expect stuff to happen."

Another imponderable: Valenti is also playing a role in the process.

Valenti's extended tenure, and with it a rich pool or powerful Washington connections, have no doubt kept studio executives at a distance up until now.

A native Texan, the Harvard-educated Valenti took his post after resigning as a special assistant to Johnson in 1966. Before joining the Johnson administration, he was a principal of advertising and political consulting firm Weekley & Valenti. A Johnson confidante since 1955, he was in charge of press relations and a part of the motorcade on the day of President Kennedy's assassination.

When he took his post at the MPAA, the studios were independent entities, not smaller parts of large multi-national corporations with interests ranging from publishing to theme parks to television stations to cable networks.

Perhaps his best-known contribution during to the industry has been the rating system, which designates moves G, PG, PG- 13, R and NC- 17.

Valenti has been a staunch spokesman for copyright protection and anti-piracy issues. He's also been a staunch defender of free speech--most recently illustrated by his stance before a congressional committee attacking smoking in movies.