Rights and Clearance Specialist

Hearst Media Production Group is seeking a Rights and Clearance Specialist (freelance). This role is scalable and expected to work 25 – 40 hours/week. Responsibilities include maintaining and improving the rights management system for all contracts, reviewing program cuts, negotiating production releases and addressing clearance concerns for a high volume of projects, working with Vice President, Business Affairs and outside counsel on trademark and copyright matters, and occasional standards and practices review.

This position reports to the Vice President, Business Affairs and is based on-site in either our Glendale, CA or Charlotte, NC office.

Responsibilities         

• Spearhead rights management for all contracts, including but not limited to network, distribution, acquisitions, production partner, sponsorship, and talent agreements, maintaining an organized system that streamlines the process of identifying terms, rights, avails, participations, holdbacks, and territories. Input rights information into our rights management software. 
• Consult with counsel, perform legal review and rights interpretation of contracts to provide contractual obligation summaries to various departments, including fielding questions as it relates to contractual terms, restrictions, and interpretations of deals
• Work with Vice President, Business Affairs and outside counsel on title clearance, trademark, and copyright questions
• Collaborate closely with all production teams to ensure appearance, location, footage, and materials releases are signed with the necessary rights and protections obtained. Includes reviewing and redlining third-party releases, reviewing and responding to third-party redlines to HMPG releases, and answering questions from teams about usage rights from various sites and resources, all under tight deadlines while working with Vice President, Business Affairs and outside counsel as needed
• Work with Vice President, Business Affairs and outside counsel and production teams on FCC and FTC compliance and regulatory concerns for broadcast and digital projects
• Support other Business Affairs team members with occasional broadcast standards and practices review
• Complete rights and clearances review of program cuts 

Experience

• 5+ years’ experience in entertainment business affairs, production management, rights management, and/or clearance coordination
• Production company, entertainment law firm, or studio/network experience required

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of rights management and contract management systems
• Experienced in contract review and analysis with a focus on contracts in the entertainment industry
• Experienced in assessing risk and providing recommendations to senior management team
• Familiarity with production clearance issues and ability to handle copyright and trademark matters
• Proven ability to manage a high volume of projects with competing deadlines
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical capabilities and judgement

Education

• Related experience and/or training considered as well as a combination of education and experience
• HMPG is a proud supporter of military veterans. Related military training and experience will be considered 

The hourly range for this role is $33.65 to $43.27. The actual base pay offered is dependent upon many factors, such as transferable skills, work experience, business needs, market demands and conditions, and other factors permitted by law. The base pay is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

Values in Action

At Hearst Television we tell stories every day. Stories about people of all backgrounds, perspectives, and identities. That’s why, behind the scenes, we believe in being an organization that fosters collaboration and open communication, ensuring that the content we create is authentic, accurate, and connected to the communities we serve.

About Hearst Media Production Group

Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG), a business unit of Hearst Television, is an independent producer and distributor of original programming for TV stations, broadcast and cable networks and streaming services. HMPG produces hundreds of hours of Emmy® Award-winning programming annually across linear, streaming, digital and social media platforms for domestic and international distribution in 100 countries. Its popular weekly educational/informational (E/I) programming blocks air weekends nationwide including “Weekend Adventure,” on ABC stations; “CBS WKND,” on the CBS Network; “The More You Know,” on the NBC Network; “One Magnificent Morning,” on the CW Network; “Mi Telemundo” on the Telemundo Network and “Go Time” on independent stations. HMPG also produces and/or distributes a diverse slate of other programming and content including the company’s dedicated FAST channels Xplore, The Jack Hanna Channel, Rovr Pets, and Lucky Dog Channel, available on some of the most popular smart TVs and streaming platforms. HMPG has offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Charlotte. HMPG is represented by United Talent Agency.