Former Condé Nast executive Richard “Mad Dog” Beckman is teaming with supermarket magnate Ron Burkle and entertainment lawyer Joel Katz to form a new branded-entertainment company called Three Lions Entertainment.
The plan is to revive Fashion Rocks and its West Coast counterpart, Movies Rock, the big, branded variety shows that were a highlight of Beckman’s 24-year career at Condé.
The multisponsor shows fell out of favor during the crushing ad recession of 2008 and were ultimately canceled.
“I think the clients’ appetite for these types of shows is very much in vogue again with the advertising community — it’s multiplatform,” said Beckman, who hopes to have the shows produced in 2014.
Beckman, after a stint as president of Condé’s Fairchild Fashion Group, left to be CEO of Prometheus Global Media in 2010, where he relaunched the Billboard Music Awards. He left after falling out of favor with his venture partners and some of his more dramatic makeover plans faltered.
The company name seems inspired by the emblem of the English national soccer team and a popular song.
“It’s also the emblem on the English coat of arms,” said Beckman.“Don’t forget, I am an Englishman.”