New York – Sony Corp. of America has appointed Mike Fidler senior VP of its Blu-ray Disc Group.
The announcement comes a week after Sony announced plans to introduce in Japan on April 10 the world’s first Blu-ray Disc recorder ($3,800), capable of recording and playing back HDTV sources (TWICE, March 10, 2003, p. 4) from new DVD-sized optical discs.
No plans were announced for a U.S. version of the recorder.
Fidler, who helped spearhead the market launch of Sony’s DVD players, will be responsible for promoting the Blu-ray format to relevant industries including motion picture studios, music labels, consumer electronics manufacturers, optical replication and post-production houses, Sony said.
Fidler will establish a Blu-ray Information Office, which will serve to educate and disseminate information about the format.
He will be based in Los Angeles and will report to Nicole Seligman, executive VP and general counsel.
Fidler, a six-year Sony veteran, was most recently senior VP of the Digital Platform Division of America at Sony Electronics,where he was responsible for directing the design and engineering of Sony’s Digital Media products, including set-top boxes for consumers and cable operators, DirecTV satellite receivers, and digital network recorders.
Prior to that position, Fidler led Sony’s efforts in the Home Video/Digital Media Marketing area. In this position, he directed all of Sony Electronics Home Entertainment marketing, including business and product planning, and retail communications.
Fidler was a founding member and VP of the DVD Entertainment Group, which promotes the DVD video format. Before joining Sony, Fidler worked for Pioneer Electronics.