Marilyn Colaninno

Marilyn Colaninno is the Director of Rights and Clearances at Reed Smith. She works directly with clients and the networks in addressing commercial clearance issues as well as ensuring that all commercials produced by clients are in compliance with network guidelines and are approved for broadcast.
  
Marilyn has worked in the field of advertising for over 15 years, specifically in the area of network clearance. Prior to joining the firm, she was a Copy Clearance Coordinator at N.W. Ayer and Partners, a Legal/Network Clearance Coordinator at Bates Advertising USA, and has worked as an Editor in the Program Practices Department at CBS Television. In her role as Clearance Coordinator at N.W. Ayer and Bates, her main responsibilities included submitting all commercials produced by the advertising agency to the Standards and Practices Departments of the major television networks to ensure acceptability based on compliance with network guidelines for advertising. She has worked on such categories as airlines, beverages, candy, car rental services, coffee, cosmetics, hair care products, kitchen appliances, over-the-counter medications, pet food, restaurants and sportswear.

Marilyn is the author of “Network Clearance:  A Guide For Advertisers and Agencies” and “Television Network Clearance:  A Step-By-Step Guide for Advertisers and Agencies.”  If you’d like copies, please let Marilyn know.

Marilyn graduated magna cum laude from St. John’s University, New York, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Arts.

Thoughts on Advertising: One of the things I like best about advertising is that it’s constantly evolving.  The creative process continues to fascinate me and each campaign presents new challenges.  Having worked on the agency side for many years, I can understand and relate to the pressures involved in producing a television ad campaign.  Working with advertisers and the networks in resolving issues while preserving the integrity of the creative is vital to the clearance process.  Seeing a commercial develop from concept stage to final production, knowing that I played an important role in that commercial ultimately being approved by the networks and getting on air, is truly rewarding.