If you follow the news closely, you may have heard that Classic Media was bought by a British company, Entertainment Rights, PLC, this past January.  Classic and Entertainment Rights were competitors and very similar companies, both in the business of buying and managing existing children's properties.  Almost all of Classic's business was in the U.S., while almost all of Entertainment Right's business was in the U.K. and Europe.  So the owners of the two companies decided they were complimentary, and should be put together.  The joined companies will be run by Entertainment Right's management out of London.  Classic Media's management – the fellows that bought VeggieTales out of bankruptcy – are no longer involved.

So what's it all mean?  Well, there is the potential for some interesting changes at Big Idea.  I had breakfast with the head of Entertainment Rights a couple of months ago to discuss Big Idea's direction and my future involvement. It was a good meeting, but he decided shortly thereafter that he needed to bring in someone new to oversee Classic and Big Idea, so my conversation would have to wait until that new person was onboard.

Well, as of yesterday, that new person is onboard.  Deborah Dugan is now in charge of Classic Media and Big Idea, Inc.  She was formerly the head of Disney Publishing Worldwide, and before that involved in the music business.  Beyond that, we don't know much about her.  Supposedly she was already a fan of VeggieTales and Big Idea Productions. 

So what does this mean?  We don't know yet.  I assume at some point she'll want to sit down and hear my thoughts on the current state of Bob and Larry.  Could be interesting!

Stay tuned…