Embattled Lionsgate Chief Feltheimer Honored at MIPCOM

TV veteran named “Personality of the Year” and will be market’s keynote speaker

Embattled Lionsgate chief Jon Feltheimer has been named MIPCOM’s 2010 Personality of the Year, the studio announced on Wednesday.

Feltheimer is currently warding off a hostile takeover attempt of Lionsgate by renegade investor Carl Icahn, but the MIPCOM award is not recognizing the studio chief’s endurance.

Instead, it honors Feltheimer’s leadership of the studio’s television division, where he helped develop current water-cooler hit “Mad Men.” He’s also being recognized for the nine years he spent at the helm of Sony’s television division, where he oversaw hits such as “King of Queens” and “Mad About You.”

MIPCOM is the major international television market of the year. In addition to picking up some hardware, Feltheimer will give a keynote address on Oct. 5 as part of the event’s Media Mastermind series of presentations. He will receive his award that night as part of MIPCOM’s gala dinner.

It seems unlikely that Icahn will be among those feting Feltheimer. Last week, the company issued more stock in an attempt to dilute the billionaire investor's growing stake in the studio. Icahn has pledged to oust Lionsgate’s management team if he is successful in his power grab.

Previous recipients of the MIPCOM award include CNN founder Ted Turner, Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone, CBS president-CEO Leslie Moonves and former News Corp. president-COO Peter Chernin.

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