“We have been very successful in the television content space for several years now, particularly in reality television,” ShootersINC president Ray Carballada explained. “Mark’s background and experience with developing very popular shows and series is a perfect fit for us. He has a great deal of energy and enthusiasm, and we are glad to have him as part of the team.”
Prior, Finkelpearl developed and sold programming for international companies like Beyond Productions and Eyeworks Cuatro Cabezas, where he served clients including Nat Geo, History and HGTV; and executive produced series like Car Czar, Lock and Load with R. Lee Ermey, andSnipers, Inc. His biggest show has been in partnership with Big Fish Entertainment where he co-created TLC’s sleeper hit, DC Cupcakes.That series has made Georgetown Cupcake a regular stop on Grey Line tours of the nation’s capital. Previously, Finkelpearl spent more than seven years as a production executive at Discovery Communications on the staffs of Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and TLC. At Discovery, Finkelpearl worked across genres and demographics and found a niche overseeing big engine character-process series like American Chopper,American Hot Rod,Rides Overhaulin, and The Kustomizer, facilitating added value by paving the way for ad sales integrations and placements. He’s contributed in his career to more than 800 hours of television. Finkelpearl is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS), the Producers Guild of America (PGA), and held a seat on the Board of Directors of CINE.
“I am thrilled to join this superb team at ShootersTV,” Finkelpearl commented. “Today’s media landscape is dynamic and ever-changing. With the company’s emphasis on platform-agnostic, branded entertainment combined with their visual style and taste, ShootersTV is uniquely positioned to serve a host of clients. I’m more than excited to bring my strengths to this fabulous organization: strategic thinking combined with uncovering novel characters doing amazing things.”
Finkelpearl will split his time between ShootersTV’s Philadelphia headquarters and Washington, D.C. Shooters has produced thousands of hours of TV with broadcast and cable networks since 1983, one measure of its quick success was being chosen as the production company for MTV’s first Live Aid in 1985. With the launch of ShootersTV Shooters expanded into the content development world in 2007 when they co-developed Dinner: Impossible, an instant hit that was one of the first reality shows on the Food Network. That series evolved into Restaurant: Impossible, which ShootersTV produces with Marc Summers.
