WORTHY MEDIA LAUNCHED BY INDUSTRY LEADER BYRON WILLIAMSON
May 6, 2009 Artist Updates
Posted by
wiegmake
New Multimedia Company to Produce Video Series Based on New York Times Bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven
NASHVILLE, TN—May 6, 2009—Byron Williamson, former president of Word Publishing, Nelson/Word Publishers, and Integrity Publishers, announces the formation of Worthy Media, Inc., a privately funded holding company that will start new business units as well as acquire strategic Christian content, marketing, and distribution companies.
“Our mission is to ‘help people experience the heart of God,’” says Williamson, who will serve as president and CEO. “Whether print, video, film, music, TV, or the Web, Worthy’s goal is to deliver a Christian message across multiple formats and platforms.”
Worthy’s first venture is Worthy Resources, a video-based curriculum development and marketing business. It will create and distribute education and enrichment resources for use by churches and small groups. For that reason, Worthy Resources is focused on a robust direct-to-church marketing strategy via telephone and Internet, in addition to trade distribution channels.
The first major production of Worthy Resources is a video series based on the current New York Times bestseller, 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper (Revell/Baker), which has sold more than 3.6 million copies. “This video curriculum will help adults see life’s troubles in a whole new light,” says Williamson. “The church is searching for content-rich resources, which can be used in worship, class study, and small groups; resources that connect with both core members and those who are searching.”
As the president of three leading publishers–Word, Nelson/Word, and Integrity–Williamson worked with such bestselling authors as David Jeremiah, Beth Moore, Max Lucado, Emerson Eggerichs, Sarah Young, Henry Cloud, John Townsend, Michael W. Smith, and Newt Gingrich.
Worthy’s board chairman is Steven L. Green, the president of Anvil II Management. Green and Williamson are partners in Anvil, which manages publishing for, among others, bestsellers Max Lucado, Steve Arterburn, and Casting Crowns’ Mark Hall. “We believe the church has great need for Bible-based learning experiences that enrich the lives of believers,” says Green.
Two key managers have joined Worthy: David Howell, formerly CFO of Word Entertainment and Integrity Publishers, is Worthy’s Vice President of Finance and Operations. Jeana Ledbetter, formerly of Yates & Yates Literary Agency, which serves such bestselling clients as Beth Moore, John Maxwell, John Eldredge, and David Jeremiah, is Product Development Director.
