In a series of recent acquisitions, Liberty Media Group purchased Todd-AO Corporation along with Four Media Group and Soundelux. Controlling interest, LMG now has locations across the country from London to Los Angeles to Atlanta with services ranging from sound to mastering to video post production. Led by cable-TV magnate, John Malone, LMG’s extensive list of affiliates includes Starz Encore Group, E! Entertainment Television, and QVC, Inc.

Spurred on by their recent purchases, LMG created an arm solely responsible for post production – Liberty Livewire. Todd-AO will function as a part of this unit. LMG broke it down further to separate the company’s growing list of services. Todd-AO became a component of Livewire Entertainment Group which also includes Pacific Ocean Post, 525, Encore, R!OT Colors and Pictures, Level 3, Digital Symphony, and Hollywood Digital.

Todd-AO Atlanta will move from Buckhead to a Midtown location in early 2002. Todd-AO recently purchased a building on Ponce de Leon Avenue and will begin demolition and construction in 2001. The move will take about 16 months and should be complete by the first quarter of 2002. With the changes, Todd-AO hopes to add to their audio, graphics, and editorial divisions, and introduce new telecine services. Stang & Newdow along with Architect/Principal, Jose Tavel, are expected to design the new space.

President of Todd-AO Atlanta, Britt de Bie hopes to “leverage exposure” for Atlanta and for its talents, by linking it to a company already visible on an international level. With the added capabilities and larger family, Todd-AO could attract more work from more markets, says De Bie. She sees it as an opportunity that could “change the perception that Atlanta is second rate. Which is not true at all.”

De Bie said that they are trying to maintain the staff, which will most likely change only through additions to the team. “Our culture comes from the staff we had. [We want to] maintain the culture.”