By the end of his presentation the clamor and buzz was palpable but Berk was unsurprised.

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Hosted by Mannie Berk, founder and owner of The Rare Wine Co.

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Evan Shapiro, who joined Participant in May after serving as president of IFC and the Sundance Channel, will head up the new cable TV network, Berk said.

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Frontman Josh Malerman recalls that he first met Drummer Derek Berk in middle school health class when the two were assigned to construct an anti-drug poster for a group project.

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As it happens, Berk is a blogger himself.

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Skoll and Participant Media CEO Jim Berk announced Monday that Participant is purchasing two cable TV channels and will launch a Participant TV network in the summer of 2013, focusing on viewers age 18 to 34.

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"Mel's only priority throughout all of this has been that the best interests of his young daughter Lucia and the rest of his children be put first in any decisions made, " Berk said in a statement earlier in the week.

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To finalize the lineup, we consulted two longtime auto experts known as much for their discerning eye as for their prowess behind the wheel: Brett Berk, the automotive lifestyle writer for Vanity Fair, and Lawrence Ulrich, the automotive writer for the New York Times.

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