Metan Development Group

METAN Development Group (“Metan”) was established in late 2008 with for the purposes of bringing programming content to China, and to develop and distribute Chinese content to international markets. Founded by Larry Namer (co-founder of E! Entertainment), Martin Pompadur (former Chairman of News Corporation Europe), and Jean Zhang (AmeriLink founder), Metan was established to work with the expanding Chinese market.

Executive Biographies

Martin Pompadur, Chairman of the Board: Entertainment industry veteran, Marty Pompadur joined ABC in 1960, holding various positions including General Manager of the Television Network, Vice President of the Broadcast Division and President of the Leisure Activities Group. His 17-year tenure at the company culminated with the distinction as the youngest person ever appointed as a member of the ABC Board of Directors. Mr. Pompadur is a principal owner of Caribbean International News Corporation, which publishes El Vocero, a Spanish language daily newspaper in Puerto Rico; the principal owner of Montana Coffee, a company in the wholesale coffee business in Russia; an investor in Talent Partners, a U.S. payroll company; an investor in Seatwave, a London-based ticket reseller; and a Media Advisor to the Dubai based Millennium TMT Fund. He currently serves as Director of Nexstar Broadcasting Group, News Out of Home B.V., Balkan Bulgarian, RP Coffee Ventures, and Sky Italia.

Larry Namer, President/CEO: An entertainment industry veteran with over 38 years professional experience in cable television, live events and new media, Larry Namer is a founding partner of METAN Development Group, a new venture created to develop entertainment and media specifically for the Chinese marketplace. An accomplished entrepreneur, Mr. Namer is the co-founder of E! Entertainment Television, a company now valued at over $3.5 billion USD, and the creator of several successful companies in the United States and overseas. Among those companies are Comspan Communications that pioneered Western forms of entertainment in the former Soviet Union and Steeplechase Media that served as the primary consultant to Microsoft’s MiTV for developing interactive TV applications. A cable industry pioneer, Mr. Namer began his career in 1971 at Time Incorporated Manhattan Cable, and served as Vice President and General Manager of Valley Cable Television (VCTV) in Los Angeles, the nation’s first 61-channel two-way cable system. His vision and direction garnered VCTV several Emmy and Cable ACE award nominations, as well as recognition by Forbes magazine as the national model for local cable television programming. In 1989, he was awarded the prestigious President’s Award from the National Cable Television Association. In recent years, Mr. Namer has become recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on new technology and how it is fundamentally altering the business of international media and entertainment. Among the companies that have enlisted his expertise are Microsoft, Paul Allen’s Digeo, World Digital Media Group (a joint venture of Radio Shack), EchoStar, Sirius Radio network and Eurocinema, a VOD service featuring recent award-winning European films, now available in over 25 million homes in North America.

Jean Zhang, Co-Founder & Executive Vice President, Managing Director, China Operations: Jean Zhang founded AmeriLink Group, Inc., a business-consulting firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area specializing in promoting business and cultural cooperation between government officials and senior corporate executives in China and their American counterparts in the United States. Ms. Zhang has been instrumental in developing the company’s strategy, working with both Chinese and American organizations to plan and offer short-term trainings for Chinese officials and executives based in the United States. AmeriLink has established a solid customer base in major cities throughout China and has developed strong relationships with high and mid-level Chinese government officials. Prior to AmeriLink, Ms. Zhang was a full-time Associate Professor at the University of Science & Technology’s School of Management in Beijing. She is the author And Co-author of several published books and articles. Jean was one of the youngest female Associate Professors on the faculty. In addition, Ms. Zhang worked with the Marketing and Public Relations Department at AT&T China, Ltd., and was an Anchor and Writer for Beijing Economic Radio, where she hosted two programs: “Good Morning, Beijing” and “Joyful Tonight.” Ms. Zhang received her MBA from California State University, East Bay. She also holds an undergraduate and a graduate degree from universities in China.

Current Projects

Metan’s flagship series Hello! Hollywood!, a weekly entertainment news series tailored to Chinese audiences, offers up the latest in celebrity and lifestyle news and covers the most glamorous red carpet events and award shows. Since its launch in summer 2009, the series is now available on over 40 television stations reaching more than 250 million households throughout China. Metan also launched the series’ premier content on 10 of China’s top online portals in January 2010, adding 360 million Chinese netizens to its program reach.

In February, 2011 Metan teamed up with Tencent, owner of China's largest Internet service portal QQ.com, to create special entertainment news coverage direct from Hollywood surrounding The 83rd Annual Academy Awards, tailored specifically to Mandarin-speaking audiences. This first ever viewing event was watched by an impressive audience of 3.2 million Mandarin-speaking viewers in China.

Recently, Metan joined forces with global nonprofit WildAid (http://wildaid.org) to distribute a special series of celebrity PSAs designed to raise awareness to reduce the demand for threatened and endangered species products and to increase public support for wildlife conservation worldwide.

Currently, Metan is adapting several formats of popular Western TV shows for localized versions, as well as developing the original sitcom Return to Da Foo Tsun, daily health and wellness series Everyday Lohas (Life of Health and Sustainability) and feature film titled Moon Flower of the Flying Tigers.

In May 2011, Metan entered an exclusive partnership with Fusion TV to deliver action sports and adventure travel content to China.