TheGrio welcomes Amy DuBois Barnett as Chief Content Officer

An award-winning media executive, Barnett previously held senior leadership positions at ESPN, Ebony, Harper's Bazaar, Teen People, Honey and Essence...

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LOS ANGELES, CA – October 25, 2017 | Entertainment Studios, Inc., one of the largest independent producers and distributors of film and television, with 41 shows on the air, and owner of seven 24-hour HD cable television networks, (PETS.TV, COMEDY.TV, RECIPE.TV, CARS.TV, ES.TV, MYDESTINATION.TV, and JUSTICECENTRAL.TV) reaching nearly 80 million aggregate subscribers nationwide, proudly announces the appointment of Amy DuBois Barnett as EVP, Digital and Chief Content Officer of Allen’s digital media platform, THE GRIO.

Barnett is based at the ES headquarters in Los Angeles.

An award-winning media executive, Barnett has held senior leadership positions at ESPN, Ebony, Harper’s Bazaar, Teen People, Honey and Essence. Most recently, she was recruited by ESPN to lead the development and launch of a new digital brand focusing on multimedia content for a multicultural audience. Prior to ESPN, Barnett was the Editor-in-Chief of Ebony, where she executed the publication’s first top-to-bottom redesign in its 68-year history to critical acclaim. In addition, Barnett re-launched Ebony.com and developed many nationally recognized and profitable editorial brand extensions. Prior to Ebony, Barnett was the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar, where she managed both the print and digital editorial teams, and helped re-launch the brand’s digital platform. Barnett was also the chief editor of Teen People, the teen version of People magazine and the Editor-in-Chief of Honey magazine. In addition, Barnett is the author of the NAACP Image Award-nominated advice book, “Get Yours: How to Have Everything You Ever Dreamed of and More.”

A Brown University graduate, Barnett also has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and a certificate in Fashion Merchandising from Parson’s School of Design.

“Byron Allen has been breaking ground in the entertainment business for years, and now that he has set his sights on digital media, this is an ideal time to join his company. I am excited by the challenge of taking theGrio, Entertainment Studios’ first digital acquisition, to the next level,” said Amy Barnett. “I will be focused on creating the dominant video-centric hub for African-American perspectives—and on developing a larger digital strategy for ES.”

“With our motion picture, cable, broadcast television, and digital platform divisions expanding at such a rapid pace, we are totally committed to exploring additional opportunities for acquisitions, content production, and building our assets worldwide,” said Byron Allen, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Entertainment Studios. “Amy DuBois Barnett is the perfect addition to our global media company. We are thrilled to have her join our team, and to lead the expansion of theGrio.”

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