Joe Livecchi has been named CEO at Lexington, Kentucky-based Wrigley Media Group, owner Misdee Wrigley Miller said on Tuesday.
“Joe brings his proven track record and deep relationships in creative, production, and distribution, on top of his marketing background, to the Bluegrass State at the perfect time for Wrigley’s light to shine even brighter,” Wrigley Miller said in a statement. “I feel confident with a renewed sense of excitement for what’s to come as I hand the CEO reins over to Joe.”
Wrigley Media Group, which produced and distributed court show Relative Justice, starring Judge Rhonda Wills, from 2021 to earlier this year, is currently building new production facility Lex Studios. Kentucky offers a 30% to 40% refund for qualifying film and television productions.
“We are at a major inflection point in the entertainment business,” Livecchi said, also in a statement. “The rules have changed and a big part of what I hope to do at Wrigley Media Group is to use Kentucky’s incredible entertainment incentive to turn our competitors into co-production partners to serve networks and streaming platforms with affordable premium content. We are the largest film and television studio in Kentucky. Our stages, land and unique assets position us to serve a production’s scripted and unscripted needs from concept to completion.”
Livecchi has served in multiple executive and creative positions over the years, aligning with ABC, A&E, CBS, HGTV, Food Network, Fox, FYI, Hallmark, Lifetime and NBC, and having collaborated with such producers as Brian Grazer, Aaron Sorkin and Chuck Lorre, among others.
Earlier in his career, Livecchi worked as creative director at the NBC Agency, overseeing a $25 million annual budget and managing campaigns for the Olympics (with Coca-Cola), The Apprentice, Will & Grace and more. He has worked in various TV genres, including true crime, lifestyle, documentary and live TV. He also served as senior VP, program development at CMT and as an executive producer at ITV, BBC and Endemol USA.