DALLAS, May 1, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- On the eve of its 10th anniversary as a pioneer in cost-effective media delivery systems over the Internet, Wieck Media Services named James F. Wieck its chairman and chief executive officer and Marge Boatright was named president and chief operating officer.
Wieck replaces Travis M. Hughs, who died March 19 after a lengthy battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and Boatright replaces Wieck. Linda Hughs, who became a company director following her husband's death, was named executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Wieck Media Services, which pioneered the delivery of news and high-resolutions images over the Internet, enables its clients to give publications access to ready-to-publish files. In recent years, the company has branched into managing Websites, online pressrooms and digitized press kits, streaming video and audio, and other multi-media solutions.
The company will hold a 10th anniversary celebration with an open house at its new offices in suburban Addison on Friday, May 4, and a Cinco de Mayo reception Saturday night, May 5.
"We never could have imagined when we started this company ten years ago how much technology would change and how much those changes would enable us to grow our business as we have," Wieck said.
Wieck and Hughs co-founded the company in 1991 and incorporated the firm as Wieck Photo DataBase, Inc. two years later with Hughs serving as chairman and CEO and Wieck as president and COO. Wieck Photo DataBase, Inc. remains the corporate entity, but the company recently filed legal papers to do business as Wieck Media Services to reflect its expanded operations.
Although the company was Hughs' brainchild, he insisted that Wieck's name be on the stationery. "Travis thought we needed a real name behind this company," Wieck said. "So he picked my name figuring people might not be able to spell it but that it would stand out."
Boatright, a United Press International veteran like Wieck and Hughs, joined the fledgling partnership to help with the 1991 startup. She also negotiated its first contract -- an agreement to database and distribute photos for The New York Times News Service.
Linda Hughs until recently was the national account administrator servicing the Novation account for Standard Register. She became involved with Wieck Media Services during her husband's illness and plans were formulated earlier this year for her to join the firm as CFO.
"I am really thrilled to be an official member of the Wieck family and to be here to help build on Travis's dream to make our company the industry leader in media delivery systems," Hughs said.
Wieck began his media career in 1967 at United Press International's Kansas City bureau. Over the years he worked his way up to Southwest Division Editor based in Dallas. In the mid- and late-1980s Wieck was asked to direct UPI's editorial budgeting process and given at-large responsibility for assisting other divisions and bureaus in editorial management and planning.
Wieck and Hughs met in the early 1970s when both were involved in research and planning for the implementation of UPI's editorial computer system, one of the first in the nation for a news organization. They met again in Dallas, when Hughs was Southwest Division Manager and Wieck was Division News Editor. Forming a fast friendship, they vowed one day to start a business together. The result was Wieck Media Services.
Boatright joined UPI in 1961 at the Southwest Division headquarters in Dallas. She held a range of marketing positions until 1983, when she was named Vice President and General Manager of the division, with responsibility for all operations. In the mid-1980s, Boatright was promoted to Vice President/Regional Sales at UPI and supervised all newspaper sales executives west of the Mississippi. She left UPI in the spring of 1990 and joined Wieck for its startup the following year.
Linda Hughs began her professional career in 1961, working for the FBI in Washington, D.C., and later for the Army Deputy Chief of Staff of Logistics at the Pentagon. She joined Standard Register in 1969. After holding various positions, including that of sales representative and Regional Administrator, she was appointed the National Account Administrator for Standard Register's largest account. She left the company in February 2001.
About Wieck Media Services
Wieck Media Services specializes in database storage and web distribution of multi-media materials for corporate media relations departments and news organizations.
Within six months of its founding, the company was processing and distributing digital images through a bulletin board system and then moved to Web distribution in the mid-1990s. Wieck processes files to formats that conform to international standards and then loads them into its database. Members of the media have free access to the database through various Websites where they can preview files online and download them without charge. Wieck also designs, manages and maintains corporate media Websites.
Wieck's clients include a "Who's Who" of media and Fortune 500 companies, including Agence France-Presse, American Honda Motor Corp., Anheuser-Busch Cos., AT&T, The Coca-Cola Co., DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Hearst News Service, The New York Times Newspaper Group, The New York Times Syndicate and News Services, Newsmakers, and Toyota Corporate Services.
For more information about Wieck Media Services, please visit our Website at www.wieck.com. Photos for media use are available at the Wieck Media Website.