Company Overview
For over 40 years, Sandy Frank Entertainment has been the longest established independent distributor of television and film content in the world. Long acknowledged as a powerhouse in international licensing of formats and sales of TV series, Sandy Frank Entertainment continues to make major inroads in the world marketplace through important strategic alliances. From MRC to The Endeavor Agency, from ICM to WMA, from Endemol in Italy to Starling in France to Freemantle in the UK to MTV in Russia and across eastern and western Europe, China and Japan…Sandy Frank Entertainment continues to push forward in innovative and successful strategic ways.
SFE also represent the largest Comedy Television Library with the highest quality content and best name value in the world. To get an idea of the enormity and quality of content, please visit www.lafflink.com.
When it’s time to consider programming representation or you if you have needs for content for your outlet, there is only one source to consider…Sandy Frank Entertainment.
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Sandy Frank
Chairman, Sandy Frank Entertainment
Since starting his own film syndication company over 40 years ago, Sandy Frank has built his company into the longest established and most successful independent distributor of syndication programming in the television industry. He continues to forge solid international business alliances, developing new product in arenas such as children’s programming and expanding worldwide awareness of his established hit program formats such as “You Asked For It,” “Name That Tune” and “Face The Music” as well as new, original and unique content such as “First and Worst”, “Total e-Clips”, “Retro Video” and “First Time Worst Time”.
Frank started his career as a sales executive for Paramount Pictures, subsequently moving on to Guild Films, Station Distributors and the NBC Television Network. He landed the key position of Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales with the television division of the Wrather Corporation, who produced and distributed the “Lassie” and “Lone Ranger” TV programs.
In 1964, he opened his first company, Sandy Frank Program Sales, Inc., and his first distribution successes were “You Asked For It” and “Lassie” (which he had acquired the rights for from the Wrather Corp.). Frank’s Company also sold the original, off-network, half-hour “Bill Cosby Show,” “The Dating Game,” “Lee Mendelson Superstar Specials,” etc. Frank was also the leading distributor of travel adventure shows including “America,” “High and Wild,” “Across the Seven Seas,” “The Traveler,”
“American West,” etc.
In 1975, eleven years later, Frank’s company was the leading distributor for the 7:30-8:00 PM prime access time period, supplying the first-run hit series “Treasure Hunt,” “Name That Tune” and “The Bobby Vinton Show.” All three shows were sold in more than 45 of the top 50 markets. This was an impressive accomplishment because Sandy Frank Film Syndication was the first company ever to have three first-run programs on in prime access during the same season.
Starting in 1978, Frank expanded his company, now known as Sandy Frank Entertainment, to include acquisitions, production and packaging as well as distribution, eventually spending over $75 million in first-run production for syndication.
Frank’s creations included “Face The Music,” a spinoff from the popular “Name That Tune”, hosted by Ron Ely (TV’s “Tarzan”), revivals of “You Asked For It” and “Name That Tune” hosted by Jim Lange (“The Dating Game”), a remade version of the hit animated Japanese series “Battle of the Planets” and “Lie Detector,” starring famed attorney F. Lee Bailey, and “The Judge.”
Frank moved into the world of primetime, Network specials in 1983 when he produced “Sadat,” a four-hour miniseries, in association with Columbia Pictures Television. The miniseries was one of the independent “Operation Primetime” presentations and resulted in a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for Louis Gossett, Jr., who portrayed the slain Egyptian leader.
Always one step ahead of the competition when it came to anticipating syndication program trends, Frank’s company produced and distributed shows that are now recognized as pioneers in the fields of reality-based TV (“You Asked For It”), courtroom dramas (“The Judge” and “Lie Detector”) and animated action-adventure (“Battle of the Planets”).
In 2006, Frank is continuing to set the standards worldwide for syndicated formats, forming alliances with a number of key players in the international marketplace, including Italy’s Einstein Media Partners, France’s Starling Productions, Germany’s Skyline, and Netherlands’ Endemol Entertainment. Currently, SFE is marketing YOU ASKED FOR IT, which had a six-week run in prime time at 8-9:00 PM on Sunday night on the NBC-TV Network in 2000; NAME THAT TUNE, which is airing in over a dozen countries, and FACE THE MUSIC, which is being re-launched in a new strip version.
Outside of the realm of business, Frank has established himself as a tireless worked for charitable causes. He provides significant support to a number of organizations and the State of Israel, as well as providing financial and emotional contributions to the Sainte-Famille Orphanage in Cannes, France. In fact, annually over the last 25 years, during the MIP TV Market in Cannes, Frank throws a huge party for the children of the orphanage.
A winning combination of savvy businessman and humanitarian, Sandy Frank is an ambassador of international relations. Instead of negotiating for peace, however, he is negotiating to bring his successful game and entertainment show formats to every country on the planet and so far is succeeding brilliantly.
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Sandi Spidell
VP Operations and Publicity
Sandi Spidell first started working for Sandy Frank Entertainment during the production of ‘You Asked For It’ in the early 1980s as Mr. Frank’s West Coast assistant. Sandi is well versed, possibly moreso than anyone, as to the contents of the entire You Asked For It catalog. Sandi also worked on the productions both ‘Face the Music’ and ‘Name That Tune,’ in the 1880s as well. Sandi eventually grew within the company and has ultimately risen in rank to become Sr. Executive/International Customer Service for the YAFI Brand as well as Manager/West Coast Operations for SFE (for the past 20 years).
Barbara Kalicinska
Eastern European Sales Representative
Barbara Kalicinska began her career as a journalist on Polish Radio & TV.
In 1982 she has lost her job because she refused to collaborate with the communist propaganda machine. Blacklisted from the industry, she worked with underground publishing houses until 1986, when thanks to foreign friends, she received a passport to visit the United States. During her time in the US she was introduced to the international television industry. Rather than immigrate to the US, she decided to bring this new knowledge to Poland where she worked independently until 1997.
In 1997 Barbara has established the company B.K. MEDIA CONSULTING, operating in the Central Eastern Europeans countries. In Poland she is involved in formats, co-production and the development of television programs. Presently her company collaborates with all the major broadcasters in Poland and serves as Sandy Frank Entertainment’s Eastern European representative.
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Rosalie Perrone
VP Business Affairs/Comptroller
Rosalie Perrone has been with Sandy Frank Entertainment for over 30 years and is responsible for all the company’s business affairs. With an unsurpassed standard of excellence Rosalie has become indispensible to Sandy Frank Entertainment. As the person in charge of the company’s finances, production budgets and contracts she keeps a close eye the bottom line and is an indispensable member of the team.