Rapidly Growing Primary News Source Welcomes Two High-Caliber Additions to Team

 
 
LOS ANGELES (May, 2009) TheWrap.com, the unique primary news source focused on the business of entertainment and media, announced today Michael Speier, former executive editor of news for Variety, has joined the staff as TheWrap’s News Editor.
Charlie Koones, CEO of Rockmore Media, LLC and the former president and publisher of Variety and Reed Entertainment Group, joins as a member of TheWrap’s Board of Directors.
The site founded by award-winning journalist Sharon Waxman, TheWrap.com, has seen accelerated recognition and news sourcing worldwide since its launch earlier this year.  It has continued to grow in its role as a reliable and independent source by both media and industry professionals, delivering high-profile news breaks, investigative stories and authoritative analysis. 
·       Since its launch in late January 2009, TheWrap has garnered more than 1,600,000 page views in over 370,000 visits to date, with more than 200,000 unique visitors in March alone according to Google Analytics.
·       As a result of TheWrap’s industry exclusives, the news organization has been cited and linked to by major news sources including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, The Drudge Report, the Los Angeles Times, CBS-Marketwatch, E! Online, Newsweek, IMDB, Yahoo!, Google News, TIME, Financial Times and Digg. 
“We’d be delighted to have either Michael Speier’s editorial abilities or Charlie’s publishing experience and stature within the industry. To be able to bring both of these assets into the circle of talent at TheWrap is undeniably exciting as we move toward becoming the industry’s primary source of news, analysis and community, as well as its voice to the larger world,” said Waxman.
I’m impressed with what TheWrap has accomplished thus far,” said Koones. “It’s a period of fundamental change in Hollywood and in the content business. TheWrap has an opportunity to redefine the business of entertainment information, and I’m happy to help them grow,”
Among the Hollywood insiders who have blogged for TheWrap are renowned screenwriters Peter Mehlman, John Ridley and Mike Binder, Directors Adam Rifkin and Rod Lurie, Producers Mike Medavoy and David Friendly, and media mogul Norman Lear.
 
TheWrap is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.
About TheWrap
TheWrap (www.thewrap.com) is a unique primary news source focused on the business of entertainment and media. Offering its readers original reporting, exclusive contributions from industry readers and curated news from around the globe, TheWrap is led by award-winning journalist and author, Sharon Waxman. She is best known for her work as a Hollywood correspondent for The New York Times, and brings her extensive journalism experience and knowledge of the entertainment industry to TheWrap readers.  TheWrap news organization is backed by Maveron, a venture capital firm based in Seattle, Washington and co-founded by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Dan Levitan.