Marc C. McCarthy serves as Senior Director of Communications for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and is based in Los Angeles. GLAAD is one of the largest national LGBT organizations and the only one dedicated to ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of LGBT people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Mr. McCarthy joined GLAAD in September, 2006.

Prior to joining GLAAD, Mr. McCarthy served as Vice President, Corporate Communications for OpenTV Corp., the leader of enabling technologies for advanced digital television services based in San Francisco.  He was responsible for rebuilding and directing a wide variety of key strategic worldwide communications initiatives across diverse cultures for multiple internal and external clients and acted as key corporate spokesperson. Mr. McCarthy crafted and managed all C-suite positioning,  Web site development, B2B|B2C marketing and content creation and communications, games and gaming for UK-based divisions PlayJam and BettingCorp, interactive advertising and programming, event management, brand identity and PR initiatives to the global trade, business, technology and entertainment media.

Before moving to OpenTV, Mr. McCarthy was Executive Director of Communications & Entertainment Publicity for Starz Encore Group (SEG), STARZ! Pictures and Starz Encore Entertainment (SEE). He spearheaded senior affiliate relations, marketing, and programming PR for 12 linear and on demand subscription-based pay TV and broadband movie channels, the critically acclaimed and award-winning commercial-free educational children's channel WAM! America's Kidz Network (WAM!) and the highly successful promotion and development of STARZ! Pictures and SEE original films, documentaries and series.

Mr. McCarthy managed more than 75 award-winning original projects and was responsible for the creation of the award-winning BET Movies/STARZ! Reel History Educational Initiative affiliate/community affairs program, the STARZ! On Demand on RealOne introduction and the development of WAM!'s lauded kid hosts into "WAM!Bassadors" - young newscasters roaming the country reporting on kid-friendly activities. He guided the corporate communications team across a wide variety of initiatives including industry, talent and media relations, marketing communications, event management, advertising, media junkets, philanthropy, community relations (Starz Film Center, Starz Denver International Film Festival), twice-yearly Television Critics Association (TCA) tours, C-suite positioning, programming, Web content and brand development and emerging digital technologies.

With over 25 years experience in broadcast|advertising|marketing|public relations|corporate communications, Mr. McCarthy’s accomplishments include acclaimed tenures with Anglia Television, Survival Anglia LTD and Jack Morton Productions. In early 1988, Mr. McCarthy took a sabbatical to produce and co-write, This Is Adventure, an Australia-based “docu-venture” series pilot.

Mr. McCarthy is active in numerous industry groups and is a popular speaker who has the ability to clearly articulate the essence of public and media relations, and entertainment-related issues to general and business audiences. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Ohio Wesleyan University.

About GLAAD

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) www.glaad.org, with offices in New York City and Los Angeles, is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

GLAAD’s work and influence within the entertainment industry, national and regional news organizations and with journalists at all levels has led to sweeping change in the ways that LGBT people are portrayed in the media. The widely known and popular GLAAD Media Awards has recognized the best of such images for 19 years.