Thr's Block To Morgan Creek Marketing Post

Alex Ben Block, who has served as editor of The Hollywood Reporter for the past six years, has been named president of marketing for Morgan Creek Prods. He will report to Morgan Creek chairman and CEO James Robinson and take up his new post in four weeks.

"Alex's addition to our management team further strengthens us as we build our company for a very successful and productive future," Robinson said. "He brings tremendous enthusiasm, energy and experience, and a real knowledge of how the industry works."

Block, the longest-serving editor in The Reporter's 68-year history, is the author of the critically acclaimed "Outfoxed: The Inside Story of America's Fourth Television Network" and "The Legend of Bruce Lee," which sold more than 4 million copies around the world and appeared in nine international editions.

Block joined The Reporter in 1990 as executive editor of special issues and was named executive editor in 1992. He became editor a year later.

In his award-winning career, he has twice worked for Forbes magazine -- both as a New York-based writer and then in Los Angeles covering the entertainment industry during the 1980s.

In addition, he has served as assistant city editor and later business and entertainment columnist for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. He has also held posts as columnist at the Detroit News and entertainment editor and movie critic at the Miami News.

Block was editor-in-chief of the movie industry newsletter Show Biz News and he has contributed to such publications as Esquire, Channels and New York magazine.

A board member of the Foundation of Motion Picture Pioneers and an active member of the Will Rogers Foundation, Block is a winner of the Los Angeles Press Club Award for best entertainment story of the year. He has also been the recipient of the Hearst Award, the Angel Award and the Donaldson Award. He is a four-time nominee for the Publicists Guild's annual press award.

"The Hollywood Reporter has been like a second family to me for eight years," Block said. "I have been proud to be part of the team with publisher and editor-in-chief Robert Dowling during a period that has seen the paper achieve record circulation and advertising revenue, as well as journalistic parity -- and then some -- with the major daily and weekly publications that report on show business."

He added, "I am looking forward to a tremendous new challenge and fulfillment of a dream. I have had a lifelong passion for movies and always wanted to work directly in the motion picture industry. Morgan Creek offers a particularly exciting opportunity."