MPA Renews CEO Charles Rivkin’s Contract For Three More Years

Ted Johnson
·3 min read
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The Motion Picture Association has renewed chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin’s contract for another three-year term.

Rivkin joined the MPA in September 2017 as CEO and, after a transition period, also became chairman in January 2018. The new contract started on Jan. 1, marking his third term in the role.

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During his recent tenure, the MPA and studios grappled with the Covid pandemic, and Rivkin worked with local groups on retaining or enhancing production incentive programs in states including New York, California, Georgia, New Jersey and Louisiana. Budget allocations totaled almost $8 billion last year, according to the MPA. The trade association also cited production incentives in other countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, France, India, Ireland, New Zealand and Spain, as well as progress on creating a framework for a program in Mexico.

Rivkin also played a leading role in creating the new Streaming Innovation Alliance, which is focused on regulatory policy in states and at the federal level that will impact the streaming market. Senior advisers are Mignon Clyburn, a former FCC commissioner and acting chair of the agency, and Fred Upton, a longtime former congressman from Michigan and chair of the House Energy and Commerce Agency.

Rivkin also chairs the Alliance for Creativity in Entertainment, the global anti-piracy organization which was launched in 2017 and has grown to 60 members, including expansions in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America. ACE recently launched the Sports Piracy Task Force, which focused on curbing piracy of live sports broadcasting and streaming.

Before joining the trade organization, Rivkin was the U.S. ambassador to France and later assistant secretary of state economic and business affairs during Barack Obama’s administration. His MPA compensation package totaled $4.1 million in 2022, according to the latest forms filed with the IRS.

At the end of his new term, Rivkin’s tenure at the MPA will be the longest since longtime chairman Jack Valenti retired in 2004. Dan Glickman led the trade and lobbying association from 2004 to 2010, and Chris Dodd was chairman and CEO from 2011 to 2017. Bob Pisano served as interim CEO between their tenures.

Rivkin said in a statement, “Our members’ films and series are among the most accessible and prominent cultural exports, and they drive the creative economy both in the United States and overseas. This is the best job in the world, and I look forward to creating new ways for storytellers to reach even bigger audiences in the years ahead.”

He said that over the next three years, “my team and I will continue to navigate paradigm shifts in technology, advances in distribution models, and changes in consumer tastes and behavior. With each new challenge, I’m confident that the MPA will adapt and help our member companies and the iconic industry we proudly represent to grow even stronger.”

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