Lee rolls with 420TV

Cannabis-orientated OTT lifestyle network 420TV has appointed industry veteran Douglas A. Lee as its general manager.

Douglas A. Lee

The channel, which this week commissioned a travel series titled In Amsterdam, is set to launch in January 2018 through 420TV.com as well as on iOS and Android platforms on both mobile and tablet. So far 420TV’s distribution partners include Comcast, Amazon, Roku and Apple TV.

Lee has been behind the launch of numerous cable and syndicated channels, including MGM pay TV network Epix, and will now oversee 420TV’s creative, content, technology, marketing and sales divisions.

The network’s name refers to 4:20pm, the time pot enthusiasts have been known to light up in certain cultures, and will offer news, entertainment and lifestyle programming that is related to cannabis.

420 Entertainment Group, which is developing and launching the channel, has been set up by US OTT tech and content company OwnZones Media Network alongside Genesis Media and Alex Nahai Enterprises.

OwnZones Media Network CEO Dan Goman said Lee had been hired as a result of his background in “niche, international channel launches.”

Lee added: “With 420TV, we’re targeting a huge niche and elevating the conversation around it by shooting all original content in 4K and bringing such a high calibre of on-air and production talent together.”

Lee has been involved in the planning and execution of more than 20 networks/video services in the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

These include MGM HD and Noggin, a joint venture between Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon.