Lots of teens and adolescents still read quite a lot.īut a roundup of studies, put together by the nonprofit Common Sense Media, shows a clear decline over time. Harry Potter and The Hunger Games haven't been big hits for nothing. and other countries.British Library of Political and Economic Science/Flickr Today, according to the organization, Common Sense ratings and reviews reach more than 100 million households and its digital citizenship curriculum is taught by 1 million teachers in the U.S. Steyer founded Common Sense Media in 2003. The organization has about 130 employees. Prior to joining Sony in 2006, Berger led strategic planning initiatives at Time Warner Inc.Ĭommon Sense Media reported $25.5 million in total revenue including $11.2 million in service revenue from licensing deals for calendar year 2018, according to its most recent 501(c)3 tax filing. At SPT, Berger’s portfolio also included the anime-subscription service Funimation and the Sony Pictures Television Game Studio, as well as linear TV networks Sony Movie Channel, Cine Sony and getTV. “We thought he was an excellent business operator… and he really cares about kids and family.”īerger most recently was chief digital officer and head of direct-to-consumer at Sony Pictures Television, where he launched and managed Sony Crackle, an ad-supported streaming network.Ĭrackle, which is now run as a joint venture between SPT and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, had created original programming including Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” as well as a slate of movies and premium series. “Eric is a very significant player in the entertainment industry, and we wanted to get a very experienced, seasoned executive to lead this initiative,” said Steyer. The organization shortlisted a dozen candidates before ultimately selecting Berger. Berger is looking for office space in Los Angeles and is in the process of hiring a senior management team and other staff.īerger started talking with Steyer about three months ago about the new venture, after Common Sense conducted an executive search for the CEO position. office, operating separately from the San Francisco-based parent organization. The for-profit arm will be based out of a new L.A. He added, “It’s rare to have this opportunity to build something new and mission-based… We have an opportunity to build something that is really reflective of Gen Alpha around what is happening now.” Common Sense Networks will create a range of services and content, including streaming video, podcasts, and social media content, “with the goal of meeting kids where they are,” said Berger.Ĭommon Sense Networks will likely have a different consumer-facing brand associated with it in the future. I was drawn to their mission to create better entertainment for kids and families.” “As someone in the business, I’ve seen this change in rapid consumption of digital media for kids. “As a parent, I’ve been a user of Common Sense Media for years,” said Berger, whose kids are now 18 and 20. “We have yet to create any content or distribute it,” he said.īerger, as CEO of Common Sense Networks, is tasked with building the for-profit entity from its infancy stage into a “trusted and recognized international media property for families,” according to Steyer. In addition, Steyer said, Common Sense Networks has been certified as a B Corporation, a designation for companies that “balance profit and purpose” by meeting standards for social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability.Īs for whether Common Sense Media will review and rate the content produced by its commercial arm, Steyer said that has not been determined. “We have spoken to people in all aspects of our work to make sure it’s consistent with our mission,” he said. Steyer insisted that the formation of the for-profit kids’ media division doesn’t present any conflicts with Common Sense Media’s core goals. Common Sense Media has raised over $10 million from angel investors in the financial industry to launch new for-profit businesses, Steyer said.
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