MRC has hired NBCUniversal alum Adam Stotsky as president of MRC Live & Alternative, a new division that will absorb the operations of Dick Clark Productions.
 
Stotsky, former president of NBCU properties E! Entertainment from 2014-2019 as well as president of Esquire Network from 2012-2017, will run a division that focuses heavily on awards shows and special events, including the American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, and ABC’s annual New Year’s Eve special “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”
 
MRC co-CEOs and co-founders Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu released a statement Sept. 12 confirming the hire. “Adam is well positioned to lead MRC Live & Alternative as we go through a period of rapid growth and innovation,” they said. “He brings a wealth of experience in the space and a reputation for building iconic brands and franchises.”
 
After merging with Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group in 2018 to form Valence Media, Dick Clark Productions has slowly phased out the moniker of radio and TV host Dick Clark, who founded the company in 1957. Valence subsequently rebranded as MRC in April 2020.
 
The leadership hire indicates that Dick Clark Productions will amplify its focus on live event and unscripted productions. Stotsky worked for NBCUniversal for almost 20 years before exiting in 2019.
 
“It’s an honor to be joining MRC, who have built a reputation for many industry firsts in our business,” Stotsky said. “I am looking forward to building on the company’s culture of innovation with the team across our legendary roster of programs and developing new live and alternative formats.”
 
Despite its longevity, Dick Clark Productions has been in decline since before Clark’s death in 2012 at the age of 82. Chinese conglomerate Wanda, which owns Legendary Pictures, considered buying the company in 2016, but regulatory issues prevented the sale. The studio later sold Chinese rights to the Golden Globes and “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” to STX Entertainment. After working for the company for years, his son R. A. Clark recently launched his own imprint, Lewis & Clark.