ced september 2015

THE EMMAsNAMIC’s Bright Marketing Winners

p44

THE LEADERSShining Examples

p6

THE INFLUENTIALSLighting Up the Room

p30

THE TECHIESSparking New Ideas

p41

The Most Influential Minorities in Cable

DIVERSITY

September 2015

cablefaxmag.com

AND ALL THE 2015 CABLEFAX “MOST INFLUENTIAL MINORITIES

IN CABLE” HONOREES.

The CBS CORPORATION logo is ™ & ©2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. ©2015 Showtime Networks Inc. All rights reserved. SHOWTIME and related marks are trademarks of Showtime Networks Inc., a CBS Company. Smithsonian Channel is a trademark of Smithsonian Institution. SNI/SI Networks L.L.C. is an authorized user.

SARACLARKE

Senior Vice PresidentCorporate Strategy,

Analysis & CommunicationShowtime Networks Inc.

STEPHENESPINOZA

Executive Vice President, General Manager,

Showtime Sports and Event Programming

Showtime Networks Inc.

RAYGUTIERREZ

Executive Vice PresidentHuman Resources

Showtime Networks Inc.

WE PROUDLY CONGRATULATE OUR COLLEAGUES

cablefaxmag.com 3Cablefax: The Magazine September 2015

On the cover:

IT’S NOT ALL WORK WITH

NO PLAY...

Check out the snapshots

above for a look at what our

Most Infl uential Minorities

are doing when they are

outside the offi ce. Go to

cablefax.com in the coming

weeks for expanded profi les

that celebrate the diversity

of this industry.

IN THIS ISSUE

4 Editor’s Note The more you know, the better you are.

6 The Leaders Our annual look at cable’s top 100 minority leaders.

30 The Influentials These executives are leaving their marks on the industry.

41 Top Tech Techie minority execs leading cable’s innovation.

44 The EMMAs A look at multicultural marketing that took the prize.

THE EMMAsNAMIC’s Bright Marketing Winners

p44

THE LEADERSShining Examples

p6

THE INFLUENTIALSLighting Up the Room

p30

THE TECHIESSparking New Ideas

p41

The Most Influential Minorities in Cable

DIVERSITY

September 2015

cablefaxmag.com

Bright ideas come

from everywhere.

We believe the

more diverse

voices we have

contributing, the

more illuminating

the outcome.

cablefaxmag.com

cablefaxmag.com4 September 2015 Cablefax: The Magazine

As a young girl growing up in the South, the Confederate Flag

wasn’t anything more to me than a decoration on Bo and Luke

Duke’s General Lee. When I saw it waving, it was just something

Southern—like grits, sweet tea and kudzu.

It wasn’t until I was older that I understood the � ag’s history and

how, as one friend put it, he didn’t feel welcome anywhere it � ew. To

drive that home, consider that my state’s � ag was changed in 1956

to feature the Battle Flag when Georgia was � ghting against deseg-

regation. Georgia’s � ag eventually was changed (twice) in the 21st

Century, a long and contentious battle that I won’t rehash here.

My point is that when you know better, you do better. Once I under-

stood the effect and history of that � ag, it was never just a piece of

fabric again. You can’t do better if you don’t expand your world to a

variety of voices and persons. That’s why I’m proud the industry and

Cablefax take time out to celebrate diversity.

As many of our Most In� uential Minorities honorees noted, diversity

is more than race and gender. We agree wholeheartedly. But we also

recognize that there haven’t always been opportunities and equality.

We are proud to produce an entire magazine showcasing leadership

and diversity in this industry as cable continues its quest to become

more inclusive, with organizations like the Walter Kaitz Foundation,

NAMIC, WICT and Emma Bowen leading the charge.

Cable knows better and is doing better. May its work spread like

kudzu, covering not just our industry, but those beyond.

WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER

publisher, cablefax groupMichael Grebb

(323) 380-6263, [email protected]

editorial

editorial director, cablefaxAmy Maclean


contributorsPaula Hendrickson, Kaylee Hultgren,

Michael Maloney, Joyce Wang

advertising/business

svp, media communications group Diane Schwartz


director of business developmentRich Hauptner

(203) 899-8460 ext 2101, [email protected]

account executiveOlivia Murray


marketing

director of marketing, cablefaxKate Schaeffer


marketing associateAlex Virden


director of market development, cablefaxLaurie Hofmann


design/production

Yelena Shamis, [email protected]

senior production managerJoann M. Fato, [email protected]

list sales - Worldata (561) 393-8200Reprint Inquiries for Cablefax: The Magazine,

please contact Wright’s Media877-652-5295, [email protected]

For additional copies, please contact:

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ACCESS INTELLIGENCE, LLC

President & CEO Donald A. Pazour

COOHeather Farley

EVP & CFOEd Pinedo

EVP, Human Resources & AdministrationMacy L. Fecto

SVP, CIORob Paciorek

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Diversity is Who We Are…

David RonePresident, Networks & Sports

Dinni JainChief Operating O�icer

Jennifer ChunSVP, Content Acquisition

Michelle KimSVP, Chief Counsel Programming

Steve PaulusSVP, News & Local Programming

Alan LuiSVP, HR

Satyanarayana ParimiGVP, Product Management

Charlon McIntoshGVP, Business Services

Gregg FujimotoPresident, Oceanic

Paul RobinsonGVP, Business Services

IndrajitPonnambalamGVP, Finance

Sean CoarGVP, Media Services

Magesh SrinivasanGVP, Commercial Engineering & Ops

Darrel HegarRVP, Operations

Charlene KeysAVP, Operations

Ellen East Executive Vice President &Chief Communications O�icer

2015 WICT Woman of the Year

Rachel Welch Group Vice PresidentGovernment Relations

2015 WICT Woman to Watch

cablefaxmag.com September 2015 Cablefax: The Magazine6

THE LEADERS

1. Dinni Jain

Chief Operating Officer, Time Warner Cable

Jain has made it his mission to focus on customers—residential, busi-

ness, or media—at all times, and says he’s proud to be part of the TWC

team that’s done the impossible. “Not only has the team stuck together

through not just one but two merger processes, but the company has im-

proved tremendously and put in some of the best operational performanc-

es in the company’s history. It is rare to work with a team as dedicated

and focused as this one and it has been a real honor and a privilege for

me.” Jain’s customer-centric attitude and on-going determination to find

new, proactive approaches to improve TWC’s already notable customer

service are really paying off.

2. Debra Lee

Chairman & CEO, BET Networks

Under Lee’s vision and leadership, BET continues to be not only the # 1

network among African Americans, but it also ranks as a top 20 network

among total audiences. The Hollywood adage about what she “really

wants to do is direct” may not be applicable to Lee, but she certainly

wants to bring more diversity to the roster of TV directors. “We had three

series with 100% minority or female directors: ‘Being Mary Jane,’ ‘The

Game,’ and ‘Single Ladies,’” says Lee. “Our programming team is commit-

ted to telling our stories in an authentic way by making diversity a priority

in every aspect of our production process.”

3. Cesar Conde

EVP, NBCUniversal

Conde is celebrating his second anniversary at NBCUniversal, having joined the

company in the fall of 2013 after serving for four years as president of Univision.

In his current role as EVP, he oversees NBCUniversal International and NBCUni-

versal Digital Enterprises. In addition, Conde serves on the Executive Committee

and reports to NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke. He sits on the Boards for the

Foundation for Excellence in Education and the White House Initiative on Educa-

tional Excellence for Hispanics. The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute

has also honored Conde with the “Corporate Leader Award.”

THE LEADERS

Cablefax: The Magazine September 2015 cablefaxmag.com 7

4. Rita TuzonEVP & General Counsel, Fox Networks Group

Building on successful legal challenges against DISH Hopper and Aereo,

Tuzon turned her attention to preventing the streaming television company

FilmOn X from infringing on Fox’s copyrighted content. She did all that while

overseeing legal and business aspects surrounding the launch of Fox Sports

1 and FXX and handling legal affairs for Fox International Channels. Asked

how she defi nes diversity, Tuzon says, “I look forward to the day when we

are not defi ning diversity but instead simply living it; the day when there are

not separate lists for women and ‘diverse’ executives but one list, represen-

tative of all constituencies, no asterisks.”

5. Henry AhnEVP, Content Distribution and Marketing, Scripps Networks Interactive

Over the past year, Ahn and his team secured signifi cant distribution deals

expanding the company’s television and digital audiences. He’s spearheaded

progress on TV Everywhere partnerships, leading the industry with virtually

100 percent availability of Scripps Networks’ content. A 25-year vet of the

television and entertainment industry, Ahn is intent upon reaching millen-

nials who may not see the traditional cable or satellite bundle as a fi rst en-

tertainment choice, while ensuring linear customers have access to Scripps

Networks’ world-class content, regardless of provider.

6. Luis SilberwasserPresident, Telemundo

It’s been a very rewarding year for Silberwasser as it was Telemundo’s

best-year ever with strong ratings and share growth in key day parts,

particularly in Monday-Friday primetime. Named president of the network

only about a year ago, he has worked closely with NBCUniversal’s Hispanic

Enterprises and Content senior team and Telemundo’s leadership to develop

entertainment, sports and news growth strategy with a focus on increased

market share and profitability. Over the course of his career, the Discov-

ery vet has acquired a deep understanding of the U.S. Hispanic and Latin

American markets. No wonder he considers “Don’t improvise… know what

you are talking about” the best business advice he has received.


THE LEADERS

7. Oprah WinfreyChairman & CEO, OWN and Harpo Studios

Now that OWN has built a solid viewership base, it’s branching out. In August,

Winfrey and her team launched an online retail destination for OWN, the O Store,

which sells everything from jewelry to online courses. In October, the network will

debut “Belief,” a 7-hour original series commissioned by Winfrey three years ago.

Filmmakers around the world explore faith in the documentary, which will air across

seven nights. OWN isn’t just a vanity project. As CEO, Winfrey has a personal stake in

all the programming on the network. She seems to know what viewers want. In fi rst

quarter 2015, OWN achieved its highest quarterly prime rank ever.

8. Steve WhiteWest Division President, Comcast

This year, under White’s leadership, the West Division of Comcast Cable

launched a new internal employee brand: I Am Comcast. The thrust of the new

brand is the newly created West Division Pledge, inspired by White’s leadership,

which defines six Focus Areas that form the foundation of its culture, including

development, career, empowerment, recognition, communication and com-

munity. “You can control two things,” he says. “Effort and attitude.” Through

the Denver Scholarship Foundation, White supports efforts to provide scholar-

ships to minority high school students in the Denver area. He also serves as an

adviser for WICT Northern California.

9. Alfred C. Liggins, IIIChairman & CEO, TV One

Liggins’ Radio One business successfully bought out Comcast and is now the

complete and sole owner of TV One, making it the only minority-controlled television

network. Late last year, Liggins appointed a new TV One president, Brad Siegel, and

together their efforts have yielded the highest rated Q1 and Q2 in primetime and

total day, a fi rst-ever production partnership with PBS, and an increase of 31% in key

primetime demos. Liggins serves on the board of directors for organizations including

The Apollo Theater and The Boys and Girls Club of America. “Invest early and often in

emerging talent from the broadest resource pool possible,” he says.

10. Michael Powell President & CEO, NCTA

2014 was a landmark year for NCTA as it rebranded the Cable Show to INTX, the

Internet and Television Expo, to better refl ect changes in the industry. Powell isn’t a

stranger to tremendous change and marketplace growth. During his tenure as chair-

man of the FCC, he worked to bring regulations into the 21st Century and to recognize

the move of voice, video and data technologies away from limited analog platforms to

digital applications that bring more value to consumers.

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THE LEADERS

11. Doug GastonSVP & General Counsel,

Comcast Cable

Gaston presides over a team of at-

torneys and legal professionals who

provide day-to-day support to the

company’s operating departments at

headquarters and in each of the three

divisions. The Cable Law Department provides legal support

across a wide range of subjects, including, among others, com-

mercial contracts, content acquisition, customer service, litigation,

marketing and advertising, patent prosecution and privacy. An

inductee to the Temple University School of Communications Hall

of Fame, Gaston serves on the board of directors of the Philadel-

phia Diversity Law Group, an organization committed to fostering

diversity among lawyers in the greater Philadelphia region.

12. Asheesh SaksenaEVP & Chief Strategy Officer,

Cox Communications

Saksena’s role as EVP and Chief

Strategy Offi cer is critical to Cox’s

future growth within the company’s

product portfolio and through the

exploration of adjacent businesses.

For instance, recently his team backed a healthcare venture

with The Cleveland Clinic called “Vivre”—meaning “to live” in

French—which accelerated the adoption of home healthcare

through investing in the remote medical kiosk company

HealthSpot. Expect more strategic investments in the areas of

video, broadband and smart homes as Cox’s deployment of

Gigabit infrastructure ramps up. Saksena is also passionate

about mentoring and giving back. He’s the Executive Sponsor

of the Young Professionals Employee Resource Group (ERG)

and leads Cox’s Millennials Infl uencing Decision Making

(MIND), which includes a diverse workforce dedicated to

capturing multiple perspectives of young people.

13. Hernan LopezPresident & CEO,

Fox International Channels

“Fox increased its viewership outside

of the U.S. by 13%, cementing its

place as the biggest entertainment

brand in TV,” says Lopez, who as

president and CEO of Fox International

Channels is responsible for that growth. Perhaps the most

notable achievement under his watch has been the rapid growth

of Fox Sports, now reaching 73 million homes in 88 countries

outside the U.S. On the content side, Lopez oversaw the launch

of Fox International Studios, which is expanding FIC’s original

scripted and non-scripted programming. Indeed, he says the

biggest story in cable this year is “the continued increase in

quantity and quality of scripted content being offered.”

14. David RonePresident, Time Warner Cable

Networks & Time Warner Cable

Sports

Rone’s passion for sports and

sports television is evident in Time

Warner Cable’s portfolio of regional

sports networks and programming,

but he also oversees original content and programming

for all 50+ TWC channels. As for the best business advice

he’s ever received, Rone recalls this: “Follow your passion,

be enthusiastic and have a sense of urgency with respect

to getting your work done.” His success in cultivating

relationships with various leagues, conferences and teams

has made the company a valued partner in sports-related

sponsorships and marketing initiatives.

15. Jacqueline HernándezChief Marketing Officer,

NBCUniversal Hispanic Group

Appointed to her current position in

May 2014, Hernández reports to the

NBCU Hispanic Enterprises chair-

man and is responsible for driving

audience and revenue growth with

Hispanic consumers across the company’s portfolio of busi-

ness and brands, which include 21 cable television networks,

two broadcast networks, all digital properties, Universal Pic-

tures and theme parks. A seasoned executive with more than

20 years of multimedia experience across television, online

and print, Hernández serves on the Board of Directors of the

Advertising Educational Foundation, T. Howard Foundation

and the Ballet Hispanico.

16. Kimberley HarrisEVP, General Counsel,

NBCUniversal

Harris successfully imparts legal

advice to the NBCUniversal senior

management team and continues

to supervise the law department,

which handles legal matters for

all of NBCU’s business units, including the company’s fi lm

studio, two broadcast networks, 17 cable channels, 50-plus

digital sites, and theme park operations. In addition, she has

made major strides to bolster NBCUniversal’s commitment

to diversity, both by working with minority- and women-

owned law fi rms and by encouraging the legal community to

embrace diversity in hiring.

Crown Media Family Networks

congratulates

MICHELLE V ICARY

on her induction intoCablefax’s 2015 Program Hall Of Fame


THE LEADERS

17. Scott MillsEVP, Human Resources and

Administration, Viacom

Mills sets the company’s world-

wide human resources strategies

and practices and leads Viacom’s

administrative functions, including

real estate and security. He reports

directly to COO Thomas Dooley. Previously, Mills served as

President and COO for BET Networks. A native of New York,

he received his Bachelor of Science degree in economics

from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

18. Alberto CiuranaPresident, Programming and

Content, Univision

Ciurana is known and respected as

a leader in content development and

is considered one of the leaders in

Hispanic television. He also has been

involved in Teleton Mexico since it

was created in 1997 and helped lead the successful launch

of Teleton USA on Univision, which in the past three years has

raised more than $45 million for children with autism, cancer

and disabilities. In April, he was the recipient of Hispanicize’s

Latinovator Award 2015 for his innovative work and 35-year

media career. “No matter what you achieve or where you go,

always stay humble,” he says.

19. Vincent Cordero COO, HBO Latin America Group

Cordero took up the position of COO

at HBO Latin America in late 2013

after having brought Fox Deportes

much success during his three-year

stint as EVP/GM. The newly cre-

ated position called on his years of

experience as a creative strategist and seasoned operations

exec. At HBO he is responsible for oversight of technology,

legal, fi nance and human resources. Cordero also worked at

Univision for more than a decade, holding positions including

VP of business development and labor affairs, and VP and GM

of Univision Chicago TV.

20. Byron AllenFounder, Chairman, CEO &

President,

Entertainment Studios Networks

Next year isn’t even here yet, but

Allen already has something to look

forward to – his sixth courtroom

series, “The Verdict with Judge

Hatchett,” is set for a Fall 2016 launch. Regarded as a bold

visionary with little self-doubt, Allen continues to move

forward year after year. He has over 30 different series in

production for his television cable networks, and he employs

a full spectrum of minorities in a wide array of positions on

all his shows. “Employing and doing business with everyone

that doesn’t just look and think like ourselves,” says Allen,

when asked how he defi nes diversity.

21. Rita FerroEVP, Disney Media Sales and

Marketing, Disney Media

Ferro is responsible for all advertis-

ing on Disney kids and family TV,

radio and online platforms. Her

sales strategy has resulted in both

revenue and volume increases

for the past several years as well as new clients in new

categories. A proud Cuban-American, she has been named

one of the Most Powerful and Infl uential Latinos by the

Imagen Foundation for the past three consecutive years.

Ferro prides herself on her commitment to mentoring and

spending time with Latina employees across Disney. “I have

gotten as much out of those experiences as they tell me

they are getting,” she says.

22. Lino Garcia GM, ESPN Deportes, ESPN

Garcia guides ESPN Deportes on

a day-to-day basis in all areas,

including programming, sales and

marketing. A big accomplishment

over the past year was airing the

2015 Pan American Games live

from Toronto. A recognized industry leader, Garcia currently

serves on the board of NAMIC, Lighthouse International and

the Hispanic Foundation. “Cable can better support diversity

by being relentless in looking for the best and the brightest

from all walks of life, and externally by supporting organi-

zations such as NAMIC and the Walter Kaitz Foundation,”

Garcia says.

THE LEADERS


THE MOSTINFLUENTIALMINORITIES

SCRIPPS NETWORKS INTERACTIVE CONGRATULATES

IN CABLE

INCLUDING OUR OWN:

THE MOSTINFLUENTIALMINORITIES IN CABLE

Henry Ahn

David Arroyo

Alix Baudin

Cindy Brown

Tamara Franklin

Brigitte McCray

Greg Regis

Michael Smith

Crystal Washington

Julie Yoo

23. Louis CarrPresident of Broadcast Media

and Advertising Sales,

BET Networks

In 2015, Carr and his team led a

successful sponsor-driven BET Ex-

perience and BET Awards weekend

with more than 13 million viewers

tuning in for the premiere, making the BET Awards cable’s #1

award show among adults 18-49. Carr also helped partner

with the National Basketball Players Association to broadcast

the inaugural “Players Awards.” And as chairman of the Louis

Carr Internship Foundation, Carr helps provide paid intern-

ships for students of color at leading media and marketing

companies. “BET Networks delivers celebrity, genuine com-

munity, deep audience connection and a rich environment for

brand immersion and brand consumption,” Carr says.

24. Juan Carlos RodriguezPresident, Univision Deportes

Over the past year, Rodriguez has

scored one goal after the next. His

victories include the acquisition of

exclusive Spanish-language media

rights to some of the most impor-

tant properties and tournaments

in sports. Next year, Univision Deportes will broadcast

Copa America Centenario, a soccer event 100 years in the

making with two major soccer confederations—CONCACAF

and CONMEBOL. “In just 3 years,” Rodriguez says, “UDN

outperformed ESPN 2, Fox Sports 1 and NBC Sports Net-

work, among others. This is a true testament to the power

of our content and the growth of soccer among fanaticos in

the U.S.”

25. Sean CohanEVP, International, A+E Networks

Cohan is behind the booming

success of A+E Networks’ inter-

national division. In the past year,

deals locked in full ownership of

operations in Southeast Asia and

Italy, the company’s fi rst channels

in France and Russia, and the debut of Lifetime and H2 in

Europe, Asia and the Americas. The portfolio and business

has tripled in size—and Cohan is pushing for even more

growth. His best business advice? Two parts: “First, to

retain almost ‘maniacal’ focus on always doing the best

thing near and long-term for ‘the business.’ And two, taking

calculated and creative risks is everything in our business;

there is no place for fear.”


THE LEADERS

26. Richard GayEVP, Strategy and Operations,

BET Networks

During Gay’s tenure at BET Net-

works attendance at BET Experi-

ence has increased 36% drawing

in over 152,500 fans. “The four-day

festival was fi lled with great

music and comedy concerts,” he says. “We had electrify-

ing performances from Kevin Hart, Nicki Minaj, Ice Cube,

The Roots, Miguel, Erykah Badu and many more artists at

Club Nokia and Microsoft Center each night.” Honored with

NAMIC’s Next Generation Leader Award, Gay stays active

with philanthropic work as a Trustee of the New York Urban

League, The Jack and Jill Foundation, and other worthy

organizations. He’s led several pro bono initiatives, includ-

ing efforts for the Chicago Urban League.

27. Howard LeeEVP, Development & Production,

TLC GM, Discovery Life Channel

Lee’s natural instinct and creative

eye for fi nding stories have helped

lead the network to ratings success.

In 2015, four freshman series that

Lee oversees have been picked up

for a second season – “7 Little Johnstons,” “Love, Lust or

Run,” “My Big Fat Fabulous Life,” and “The Willis Family.”

Howard seeks out multi-cultural talent for the network’s

upcoming programming to appeal to a wide range of demo-

graphic populations, including “Dare To Wear” and “Save My

Style.” “Diversity is not just a skin color,” he says. “It’s a state

of being. All colors, religious beliefs, creeds, sexual orienta-

tions, everything.”

28. Cynthia ChuCFO, USA Network

Chu was part of the senior team

that contributed to USA Network

closing 2014 as its most profi table

year ever, exceeding the previous

record breaking year, and netting

over $1 billion in profi t for NBCU-

niversal. She was instrumental in providing the fi nancial

strategy behind the multi-year strategic partnerships for

the renewal of WWE’s fl agship programming and ratings

juggernauts Monday Night Raw and Smackdown. Chu men-

tors two non-fi nance professionals within NBCU as well as

graduate students through the Ascend mentorship program.

“Achieving a predetermined professional/personal goal and

learn/grow through the journey,” says the exec as to how

she defi nes success.

29. Marlene Sanchez DoonerEVP, Hispanic Enterprises &

Content, NBCUniversal

Dooner works closely with NBCUni-

versal Hispanic Group chairman Joe

Uva to develop company initiatives

and new business opportunities in

the Hispanic marketplace across the

company’s networks and platforms. In addition, she oversees

fi nancial planning, strategic initiatives and business develop-

ment for the company’s Hispanic franchises, including Tel-

emundo and NBC Universo. “The cable industry can advance

and better support diversity by continuing to build inclusive

workforces and cultures so that we learn from and leverage

many perspectives,” Dooner says. “Networks should also

continue to invest in content that features a broad array of

characters that refl ect real life and resonate with audiences

now more than ever.”

30. Sree KotaySVP, Chief Software Architect,

Comcast Cable

Kotay works to align the com-

pany’s overall technical execution

strategy across the enterprise. His

oversight includes the engineer-

ing and operations of consumer

products including websites, mobile apps, next-generation

application platforms, EPGs, and software and hardware for

consumer devices across all lines of business. Kotay serves

as the Executive Champion for Comcast’s Asian Pacifi c

Americans Employee Resource Group. He also helps to ad-

vise hundreds of employees on how best to retain, recruit,

promote, develop, and engage Comcast’s APA employee

and customer base.

31. Stephen HillPresident of Programming,

BET Networks

Hill rose to his current position late

last year and has since been busy

building his team of “rock stars”

who regularly provide powerful

content for BET. Currently, Hill is

working with Chris “Ludacris” Bridges to produce “The

Label,” a docu-series that will tell the story of the rise

(and sometimes fall) of classic record labels. Through his

relationships in Hollywood and the music industry, Hill cre-

ates incredible programming including First Lady Michelle

Obama attending and honoring the M.A.D. Girls at Black

Girls Rock in April.

THE LEADERS


32. Charisse R. Lillie

VP, Community Investment,

Comcast Corporation

President, Comcast Foundation

Lillie oversees the company’s corpo-

rate and foundation charitable giving,

providing strategic guidance for each

of Comcast’s national community

partners. As the company’s most-senior African American

female executive, Lillie plays a prominent role in strengthen-

ing Comcast’s overall diversity strategy as well, serving as a

mentor in formal programs through Philadelphia NAMIC and

WICT. However, she feels even more can be accomplished.

“Cable can better support diversity by creating environments

which are both diverse and inclusive,” Lillie says. “Nurture

your people and support your people, and they will work hard,

remain loyal and deliver results.

33. Darrell Walker

EVP & General Counsel,

BET Networks

The final deal doesn’t come to-

gether until Walker gets involved.

He serves as chief legal officer

for BET Networks and oversees

all aspects of the company’s

legal affairs related to the development, production

and distribution of original and licensed programming

throughout the network. Included under his wing is

litigation, content protection and antipiracy, and digital

exploitation. Walker, a Stanford Law School graduate,

feels that diversity shouldn’t be about simply fulfilling a

quota: “Industry leaders must recognize that diversity is

neither window dressing nor a numbers game. Support-

ing diversity means to assertively lean into the richness

of resources and talent that diversity brings and putting

those resources to work.”

34. Zola Mashariki

EVP, Programming, BET Networks

Only with BET since April of this

year, Mashariki has already deliv-

ered for the network by creating

“P.S. The Post Show,” and guiding

the format of “Punk’d” and “Zoe

Ever After,” which stars actor/

musician Brandy Norwood. “Creative is the riskiest side of

the business and someone once told me that every piece

of content I produce could make or break my career,” the

mother of twins and Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do says. “So I

make sure that everything I do is something that I’m pas-

sionate about.”

MARIA MARTINEZChief Human Resources O�cer, HSNi

YAY! WE’RE SO PROUD

CONGRATULATIONS


THE LEADERS

35. Henry “Hank” ForeRegional SVP, California Region,

Comcast

A 12-year veteran of Comcast, Fore

leads nearly 5000 employees and

serves more than 2 million custom-

ers, driving annual revenue of nearly

$4 billion. He has led the Califor-

nia Region to fi rst and second place in the last two annual

versions of Comcast’s internal rankings. Fore’s history of

superior operating results is only one reason Comcast trusts

him with one of its most valuable operating areas. “Failure,”

he says, “is not an option.” Having a distinguished career in

the United States Armed Forces, Fore serves on Comcast’s

Veteran’s Network Advisory Board.

36. Vicky FreeEVP & Chief Marketing Officer,

BET Networks

Free directs the brand, marketing

and creative strategy for all busi-

nesses of BET Networks (including

BET and Centric) across all plat-

forms. Based in New York, she over-

sees on-air promotions, off-channel and digital marketing,

market research and affi liate and trade marketing, reporting

directly to Chairman & CEO Debra Lee. “The African American

woman is an incredibly powerful yet often overlooked con-

sumer,” Free says. “Black women control $260 billion dollars

of buying power and consume more television than women

from any other ethnic group.”

37. Marva SmallsEVP, Global Inclusion Strategy,

Viacom and EVP, Public Affairs &

Chief of Staff, Nickelodeon

Smalls brings more than three

decades of leadership experience in

the public and private sectors to her

dual roles. For Viacom, she works

with leadership across Viacom’s brand portfolio to champion

multiculturalism, inclusiveness and diversity worldwide. Her

role includes the development of the next generation of lead-

ers at Viacom and the expansion of the company’s strategic

partnerships with outside organizations. At Nickelodeon, she

works closely with the president and COO in directing fi nan-

cial resources, personnel and facilities for their New York and

West Coast offi ces. She started the Marva Smalls Endowment

to support programs that provide opportunities to youth and

families and this year was elected president of the Big Broth-

ers Big Sisters of New York City board.

38. Claudia TeranEVP, Business & Legal Affairs,

Deputy General Counsel, Fox

Networks Group; General

Counsel, FOX Sports

Teran’s attention to detail no doubt

helped when negotiating rights ex-

tensions and contract renewals with

major sports organizations, including multi-year deals for

FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.

She says when she was a summer associate with a law fi rm,

one of the partners explained the importance of seemingly

minor details. “Finding a spelling or punctuation error could

lead a reader to subconsciously search for problems with the

substance of our work, and make it less likely they would

give the benefi t of the doubt should an issue arise,” she

recalls. “That sage advice has followed me—and I now pass

it along to my mentees.”

39. Maria G. AriasVice President, Diversity &

Inclusion, Comcast Corporation

Arias spearheads much of Com-

cast Corp.’s diversity and inclusion

strategy, which covers governance,

workforce, supplier diversity, pro-

gramming distribution and content

creation, and community investment. Over the last year,

the company’s broad diversification strategy has led to

national awards including a DiversityInc Top 50 spot, with

the company jumping 19 spots since joining the top 50

list two years ago. Even when it reaches the #1 spot, Arias

says the work won’t be done. “We’ll continue to raise the

bar,” she says.

40. Ralph MartinezSVP, Comcast Houston Region,

Comcast

With more than three decades

of industry experience, Martinez

leads all employees in embracing

change. Last year, the Houston

region experienced the highest

revenue and cash flow growth and set a record for cus-

tomer growth of positive video subscribers. These days,

the region has the highest participation rate in the country

in the company’s annual employee survey, an increase of

6.5% from the previous year. “Be better than yesterday,”

Martinez suggests.

Carlsen Resources celebrates each of this year’s “Most Influential” for their leadership

and also all the courageous souls who have come before and paved the way!

Special congratulations to all the Carlsen Alumni who we have proudly placed in key

positions all across the industry over 26 years.

Ann Carlsen and the Carlsen Resources Team

The world is changing….and so is Carlsen Resources!

Announcing the opening of our offices in London, England to better serve the

growing demand and provide our clients greater access to the best worldwide talent.

Carlsen Resources InternationalTurnmill Street

London, England

Justin C. Rallis, Managing Director

Keep an eye out for the launch of our new division

- Diversity Resources, Inc.-Providing our client companies in the entertainment, communications, internet and

technology worlds with ready access to excellent diversity talent!


THE LEADERS

41. Michael ArmstrongEVP and General Manager

International Brand

Development, Viacom

International Media Networks

Since advancing to his new posi-

tion in late 2014, Armstrong has

continued to identify new market

opportunities to launch BET, Paramount and Spike in ad-

dition to overseeing the strategy, branding and operations

of those launches. “Michael has had a long, impactful

tenure with Viacom, both in the U.S. and at international,

spanning key lines of business including affiliate, advertis-

ing and now network development,” says Robert Bakish,

President and CEO of VIMN in a statement. “This promo-

tion recognizes the significant value that Michael’s leader-

ship has delivered for the company.”

42. Isaac LeePresident, News and Digital,

Univision

CEO, Fusion

Lee leads news across Univision,

which delivers a mix of news, pop

culture, and satire content that is

both smart and irreverent across

Fusion’s TV and digital platforms. Lee’s focus and mission is

to tell the stories that matter most to the rapidly growing U.S.

Hispanic community. He pushes his team to pursue stories

on issues that most affect people’s lives on such shows as

“Nightline on Fusion,” always with the aim of fulfi lling jour-

nalism’s role of vigilance and service to the public.

43. Ray GutierrezEVP, Human Resources,

Showtime Networks

Gutierrez oversees the entire spec-

trum of human resources activities

for CBS Television Networks, which

includes Showtime, CBS Sports,

CBS Sports Network, CBS News and

CBS Entertainment. Known for his integrity and work ethic,

Gutierrez is bi-coastal, frequently fl ying back and forth be-

tween New York and Los Angeles. He serves on the board of

a number of infl uential industry organizations and is tasked

with hiring major executives for a broad array of companies

within the CBS Corporation. “A true measure of success,”

he says, “is to have people around you that are enjoying

your success because they are a part of it.”

44. Michelle KimSVP, Chief Counsel –

Programming,

Time Warner Cable

A tenacious and creative thinker,

Kim negotiates with program-

mers and content providers

throughout the entertainment

industry to find innovative ways to provide consumers

access to more content on a variety of platforms and

devices. While she identifies success in the workplace

as being part of a respectful team that provides unpar-

alleled legal service with integrity, outside the office

she considers success a state of being: “[It’s] having

confidence in the sound of one’s own voice, and being

true to that voice, not just in good times but also in the

face of failure.”

45. Jennifer ChunSVP, Global Media Distribution,

NBA; formerly SVP, Content

Acquisition, Time Warner Cable.

Shaping TWC’s vast content and

video products involves negotiat-

ing with many of the industry’s

top media executives, but Chun

always keeps the consumers in mind when making deals

for new content. What’s the best business advice she’s

received? “It’s a small world and your reputation will

precede you,” she says. And her deal support for the

company’s video product group also includes TWC TV on

IP devices. Be it linear, VOD or interactive programming,

Chun strives to make TV Everywhere content diverse and

engaging for customers.

46. Salaam Coleman SmithEVP, Strategy & Programming,

ABC Family

In July 2014, Coleman Smith

moved to ABC Family, and since

then the network has been well

served by her years of experience,

including her previous roles at E!

Entertainment & Style Network. She now directs long-term

growth strategies and heads up business alliances at ABC

Family, with a special focus on program planning and

acquisitions across platforms. With hit series and social

media successes from “Pretty Little Liars” and “Switched

at Birth,” Coleman Smith continues to bat for the winning

team.

THE LEADERS


47. Enrique R. MartinezPresident/GM, Discovery

Networks Latin America/US

Hispanic, Discovery

A part of Discovery Latin American

since its launch in 1994, Martinez

has helped grow DLA/USH into

a juggernaut that distributes 13

networks that reach more than 354 million cumulative

subscribers in 48 countries and territories. He launched Dis-

covery Turbo as a basic network on more than 100 affi liates

across the region, which represents growth of 55% over

last year. Martinez also has overseen more than 200 hours

of original productions, many which achieved record ratings

and numerous awards. Fluent in three languages (English,

Spanish and Portuguese), he is a strong supporter of the

employee inclusive program Discovery Your Impact Day.

48. Brenda FreemanChief Marketing Officer, Nat Geo

Channel & Nat Geo Wild

Freeman is both right- and left-

brained, having started as an engi-

neer and later transitioning to the

creative space. That unique balance

gives her a keen appreciation of the

art and science of effective marketing. Despite her strong

analytical background, she is sticking to this business advice:

Trust your gut. “If you always wait for the data crunched evi-

dence, you will be a follower that makes decisions based on

past results. Leaders innovate in the white space,” she says.

49. Mark GarnerSVP, Distribution, Business

Development, Analytics and

Marketing, A+E Networks

A leading TV Everywhere expert,

this year Garner took on the added

responsibilities of digital content

distribution and strategy within A+E

Nets’ digital media group. He’s the man who ensures that

the company is on the forefront of new opportunities and

experiences for TVE, OTT and VOD in the realms of distribu-

tion, marketing, product development and analytics. No small

task, mind you. He’s particularly proud of his recent foray into

digital media, as it’s afforded him “the opportunity to get a

broader view of where growth and innovation in our industry

are taking hold.”

50. Rubén MendiolaPresident, NBC Universo

The New England Patriots team

wasn’t the only winner on Super

Bowl Sunday this year. That Febru-

ary 1 game also marked the day

that NBC Universo launched under

Mendiola’s leadership. The modern

sports and entertainment cable channel for Latinos delivers

some of the best sports franchises in the world including

FIFA World Cup, NASCAR Mexico Series and the 2016 Rio

Olympics. Mendiola continues to oversee his team’s efforts

to acquire, develop and launch edgy entertainment program-

ming that will resonate with a broad Latino audience.

51. Kay MadatiEVP and Chief Digital Officer,

BET Networks

Madati leads cutting-edge partner-

ships and initiatives at BET Digital,

the interactive arm of BET Networks,

one of the most infl uential platforms

for black consumers across the

globe. “As consumer behavior shifts to a multi-screen ap-

proach, BET Digital is reinventing the way it creates content

at the speed of culture,” Madati says. #BETAWARDS was a

worldwide trending topic on Twitter during this year’s awards,

and trended in the United States for more than 8 hours.

52. Maria MartinezChief Human Resources Officer,

HSNi

Upped to Chief Human Resources

Offi cer in June of 2014, Martinez

has since hired key executives

and launched a new career site for

HSNi that streamlined the hiring

and recruiting of new talent—to name just two of her many

accomplishments. In the coming year, Martinez will focus

on succession planning, talent development and revamping

the company’s performance management system. Outside

of work, she is active with the community organizations

Girls Inc. of Pinellas and Metropolitan Ministries, which offer

after-school programs for girls and care for the homeless.

“Girls who are deciding who they want to be when they grow

up need mentors and teachers who can open doors they

otherwise wouldn’t know are available,” she says.


THE LEADERS

53. Matthew HongEVP & General Manager,

Turner Sports

Hong runs the day-to-day business,

technical and remote operations

for Turner Sports, which airs events

ranging from Major League Baseball

to the NBA, NASCAR, the PGA of

America and the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tourna-

ment on TNT, TBS, and truTV. Part of Turner’s team since

2008, Hong also oversees various sports digital businesses

including PGA.com, March Madness Live/NCAA.com and

the Turner Sports alliance with Yahoo! Sports, as well as the

company’s recent acquisition of Bleacher Report. “The main

job of any manager, and in the long run their greatest value to

an enterprise, is to manage people,” he says.

54. David PorterExecutive Director,

The Walter Kaitz Foundation

Because of what he does on a

daily basis, Porter plays a key

role in improving the industry’s

diversity. He oversees day-to-day

management of the foundation,

including the allocation of Foundation funds in support

of cable industry diversity efforts and development of an

industry-wide supplier diversity initiative. Through funds,

grants and scholarships, the foundation serves as a cata-

lyst for increasing diversity in cable’s workforce, supplier

base and programming.

55. Elizabeth AsencioSVP, Client Relations & Marketing

Operations, Content Distribution,

NBCUniversal

Thanks to Asencio, NBCUniversal

was able to broaden high-profi le

Hispanic content with targeted

promotion for new brand visibility

through MVPDs. She works tirelessly and creatively with her

team on promotional efforts for high-profi le Spanish language

programming for NASCAR and FIFA for Telemundo and NBC

Universo. With a large extended Hispanic family, Asencio is in

the perfect position to make intelligent suggestions on how

to enhance content. “Diversity,” she says, “involves bringing

together people with a variety of different interests, back-

grounds, perspectives and experiences to create an open and

inclusive environment where individuals can collaboratively

learn and grow from others.”

56. Michael SmithSVP and GM, Cooking Channel,

Scripps Networks Interactive

A veteran of Scripps Networks

for the last 15 years, Smith has

guided the creative, advertising and

brand strategies in marketing and

creative roles, previously holding

multiple marketing titles, including SVP, Marketing for the

Food Network. He received his undergraduate degree from

Stanford University in 1984 and his MBA from the Univer-

sity of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business in

1986. Smith says the best advice he ever received was to

keep it “R.E.A.L.” – “R”elationships, constantly “E”quipping

yourself with new knowledge, maintaining a positive

“A”ttitude in the face of failure and constantly improving

your “L”eadership skills.”

57. Ivan BargueirasEVP, Advertising, Discovery

Networks Latin America /

US Hispanic

Bargueiras oversees ad sales

for the DLA/USH television and

online businesses and more than

90 employees. His understanding

and respect for cultural differences was a key reason the

company expanded his role to support the International

Ad Sales teams with an eye towards greater collabora-

tion and identification of global business opportunities.

Bargueiras is often tapped as a mentor because of his

business acumen, as well as his forward-thinking ap-

proaches. “Surround yourself with the brightest pro-

fessionals without discarding learning from the most

unexpected places,” he says.

58. Janet Han VisseringSVP, Development and

Production, Nat Geo Wild

This year marks Nat Geo Wild’s

5th anniversary, and Vissering

has effectively contributed to the

network’s exponential growth

since its launch. 2014 was the

network’s most-watched and highest-rated year ever,

with primetime P2+ delivery up 22% from 2013. Visser-

ing found huge success with last year’s Big Cat Week

event and has been instrumental in making the brand

strong. The ability to lead with command but always with

respect is how she defines success. And when work gets

crazy, it’s “important that you have the escape of your

family to lean on,” she says.

THE LEADERS


59. Jessica RodriguezEVP and Chief Marketing Officer,

Univision

Rodriguez oversees all Univi-

sion Communications marketing

functions, including the Univision

Agency, which creates and over-

sees all promotional, creative and

media inventory valued at more than $500 million across

the UCI’s broadcast, cable, radio and digital properties.

She reports directly to the CEO. “Be strong, deliver re-

sults, have an unwavering moral compass, and push your

team always,” says Rodriguez. “Yet always make sure

you never forget to bring your kindness and humanity

every single day.”

60. Tamara FranklinEVP, Digital,


Franklin oversees the company’s

digital business units to coordinate

overall strategy, focusing on an

integrated company-wide approach

to digital video production and dis-

tribution. Franklin earned her bachelor’s degree in English

from Yale and her MBA from Harvard University. “I hope that

my success is refl ected in having raised two responsible,

empathetic and contributing members of society,” Franklin

says of her two children, Miles and Camille. “I hope that

there will be professionally successful men and women who

will want to say that my infl uence played some role in help-

ing them to achieve.”

61. Stephen EspinozaEVP & GM, Showtime Sports and

Event Programming

A boxing fan since he was a child

when he viewed the sport with his

grandfather, Espinoza says that

he is especially proud of “help-

ing bring the record-breaking

Mayweather-Pacquiao event to fruition.” The slugfest

shattered all previous pay-per-view records, gross-

ing more than $500 million and was distributed in 175

countries worldwide. A fierce negotiator and passionate

sports enthusiast, Espinoza empowers his employees to

be free-thinking individuals as he manages the day-to-day

activities of Showtime Sports. Outside of the company, he

serves on the board of directors for Heart of Los Angeles, a

community center for young people to engage in enrich-

ment activities in LA’s Rampart District.


THE LEADERS

62. Craig RobinsonEVP & Chief Diversity Officer,

NBCUniversal

Under Robinson’s leadership, OUT@

NBCUniversal, the company’s Les-

bian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender &

Straight Ally Employee Alliance, be-

came the fi rst LGBT group to march

under a banner in the 2015 New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day

Parade. There’s indeed something to march about—for the

third year in a row Comcast and NBCUniversal earned a per-

fect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equal-

ity Index, helping to earn a designation as one of America’s

“Best Places to Work” for LGBTs. “We continue to take pride

in the company’s progress in increasing ethnic diversity in

our workforce and our continued strength in female repre-

sentation,” Robinson says.

63. Marva Johnson Corporate VP, Technology Policy

and Industry Affairs,

Bright House Networks

Having joined Bright House in 2006,

Johnson evaluates policy implica-

tions associated with the company’s

technological infrastructure, service

delivery and long term strategy. She also works to establish

and drive regulatory strategies for the company’s video, voice

and data services. Prior to taking this role, Johnson served as

acting VP for CLEC Operations for Bright House Networks In-

formation Services (BHNIS). A graduate of Goizuetta Business

School at Emory University and Georgia State University Law

School, she serves as a mentor for Bright House Networks

Women’s Leadership Circle.

64. Carolina LightcapChief Content Officer,

Discovery Networks Latin

America / US Hispanic

Under Lightcap’s leadership, the

DLA/USH portfolio touts its best

ratings ever, with the Latin Ameri-

can portfolio completing its highest

semester ratings (1Q and 2Q) ever, and the US Hispanic

portfolio achieving its best quarter ever. In her new role as

CCO, Lightcap looks to maintain the portfolio’s current lead-

ership position and continue to refi ne the regionalization

process and strategy. Lightcap will also focus on further

strengthening DLA/USH’s content pipeline and brands, and

expanding her responsibilities to include web and social

media presence.

65. Rodrigo LopezRegional SVP, Comcast Oregon &

SW Washington

Lopez cares about the customer

experience. His region has tested a

redesigned statement that makes

it easier for customers to under-

stand their monthly bills. An adept

storyteller, Lopez enjoys telling his employees stories about

customer experiences, leadership and process improve-

ments, noting that these anecdotes help employees re-think,

focus and come together. Lopez is equally devoted to philan-

thropic endeavors, serving on the board of directors for the

United Way of the Columbia-Williamette, Junior Achievement

of Oregon & SW Washington and Oregon Sports Authority. He

provides opportunities for minority awareness and inclusion

with several successful groups including OUT@Comcast.

66. Holly TangCFO, Bravo and Oxygen Media

Tang continues to play a vital role

both defi ning and building the

networks’ strategic initiatives. As a

leader within the content business,

she is the analytical mind among her

creative peers, acting as a mentor

for many who also aspire to be fi nancial leaders within the

industry. This enthusiastic Smith College alumna also encour-

ages new graduates to pursue fi nance positions and says she

defi nes success as “building a career where you are learning,

being challenged and at the same time respecting and liking

the people you work with.”

67. Lisa HsiaEVP, Digital,

Bravo Oxygen and Media

Hsia has built the Digital Media

group into an interactive pow-

erhouse. On the Bravo side, she

oversaw the redesign of BravoTV.

com which allowed fans to take

a deeper dive with the website’s new digital storytell-

ing, “Moments,” which presents fans addictive content

from their favorite shows in one spot. More recently, she

unveiled Oxygen’s new online destination “Very Real,” as

a one-stop shop for millennial women. Bravo Digital re-

cently won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Creative

Achievement in Interactive Media. “Growing our business

and seeing the team’s creative vision recognized was a

double win,” Hsia says.

THE LEADERS


68. Rob SimmelkjaerSVP, Sports Ventures &

International

NBC Sports Group

Simmelkjaer manages the NBC

Sports Ventures unit, a collection

of NBC Sports properties. He also

plays in the game, too, in his role as

an on-air contributor across multiple NBCUniversal plat-

forms including NBC Sports, NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC.

His duties have expanded to overseas as well, now that

he is charged with leading international business develop-

ment for the NBC Sports Group. Simmelkjaer feels that the

walls preventing a more diverse culture in television can be

scaled by expanding opportunities across the board. “Create

ways in the door, such as college internships and entry level

jobs, for those without family connections to the industry,”

he says.

69. Michelle L. RiceEVP, Content Distribution &

Marketing, TV One

After growing the network to

57 million subscribers, Rice has

secured multi-year renewals with

key MVPDs despite the network’s

divestment of Comcast as a co-owner. As a true indepen-

dent, owned entirely and solely by Radio One, the net’s

lucky to have Rice on the team. And as a former L. Patrick

Mellon mentee, she also has a passion for mentoring others.

“If each of our company’s products and employees refl ected

the same level of diversity as the customers we serve, then

the cable industry would be well on its way toward better

supporting diversity,” says Rice.

70. Kevin StephensPresident, Commercial and

Advertising Operations,

Suddenlink

While leading approximately 600

commercial and advertising op-

erations (CAO) staffers in ad sales,

commercial services and carrier

services, Stephens helped secure $434 million in revenue in

2014, translating to double-digit growth. The division’s best

year of growth in 2014 included successes in high-speed

data services, managed services and online advertising.

And he’s not stopping there. Stephens and his team have

set a goal to double the size of the CAO business over the

next six years. He defi nes diversity as “embracing variety in

human thought, race, culture and gender that’s refl ected in

our broader society.”

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CableFAX DaWhat the Industry Reads First

Volume 23 / No. 209

Monday — October 29, 2012

Comcast 3Q: Deal Talk, Better Video Metrics & NBC Is Doing Alright

It’s all about the deals. And there were a few hints dropped about Comcast-NBCU negotiations during Fri’s 3Q earnin

call. Comcast Cable has struck several agreements recently with programmers, including Disney and Scripps. Progr

ming increases thus far are a “bit lower” than forecasted, said CFO Michael Angelakis. But it doesn’t sound like it nec

sarily will stay that way. “As we think about ’13, I think you are going to see some continued pressure. We do have lum

contracts that come up and so forth. I don’t want to get into too much detail, but I can just tell you I think the team has

really done a great job. We have a lot more rights over many different platforms, and I think that probably in the 4Q a

to a bit into 2013, we will see some additional pressure on programming. I think we will be able to manage through th

On the NBC side, Steve Burke said about 25% of the sub base has contracts up this year. “We have had a number

discussions ongoing, and some of those have been concluded at this point at least in handshake fashion. We are g

what we think is a fair price for retransmission consent,” he said, adding that the company also has done “a lot of de

for reverse compensation from broadcast affils. When asked about monetizing revenue from cable nets, Burke said

has emerged as a major revenue source for cable and broadcast. “In a way, it’s a new form of the traditional syndic

model where at a certain point after the shows have aired in their primary run on a broadcast or cable channel, the

been sold into another market,” he said. Big highlights from 3Q earnings were video subs and the Olympics. Comc

duced its basic video losses by 48K to 117K, marking the 8th consecutive Q of improvement. That led analysts to

if 4Q could mean positive sub growth. “We just have our heads down. We are focusing on execution and block an

said Comcast Cable pres/CEO Neil Smit (spoken like a former Navy Seal). Voice saw 123K net additions and HS

287K adds, an almost 10% increase over last year. Wells Fargo’s Marci Ryvicker said the Q was very strong on

cable and NBCU side. NBCU saw revenue rise 31% to $6.8bln (+8% excluding the Olympics), and broadcast ad

NBC was up 9% excluding the Olympics. “By most measures, Comcast—and event its NBCU unit—seems to h

seasonally-adjusted operational momentum,” said ISI Group analysts. Sanford Bernstein piled on, declaring th

is “slowly but surely becoming part of the bull case for Comcast.” Shares closed up 3.3%. Overall, net income ro

$2.11bln from $908mln, while revenue was up 15% to $16.5bln. Notable: The London Olympics generated $1.2

Cablefax DailyTM

What the Industry Reads First

URGENT! PLEASE DELIVER 3 Pages Today

Monday — October 29, 2012

Volume 23 / No. 209

What the Industry Reads First


THE LEADERS

71. Susan Jin DavisSVP, Strategic Services,

Comcast Cable

An engaged advocate for the

advancement of Asian Americans,

Davis sits on the board of three

nonprofit organizations that serve

the community. A former profes-

sional violinist in high school, she brings great discipline

to her role at Comcast Cable, which includes responsi-

bility to implement product policies, reduce costs and

manage business compliance in close coordination

with Legal, Regulatory and Government Affairs. She’s

also actively involved in Comcast’s diversity efforts. “I

define diversity as that which distinguishes you from the

crowd,” Davis says.

72. Mike Roggero CFO & COO of Fuse

Roggero has had a busy year. Fresh

off last year’s acquisition of Fuse by

SiTV, he and his team have worked

hard to meld Fuse and NUVO TV

into one network. Then there’s the

launch of brand new TV and digital

channel FM, which will keep music at its core. Diversity

has been top of mind with the changes. “As we re-launch

Fuse to target a diverse, millennial audience of what we are

calling ‘New Young Americans,’ it has been essential for us

to not only refl ect this audience in our programming, and

to develop content that is culturally relevant to the most

multicultural generation in U.S. history, but also to ensure

that we hit several notes, not just one,” Roggero says.

73. Sara ClarkeSVP, Corporate Strategy,

Analysis, and Communication,

Showtime Networks

Clarke advises and infl uences senior

management decisions on issues

critical to the company’s business,

including competition, distribu-

tion, positioning, technology and legislation. Clarke also will

analyze the competitive landscape as the network heads into

its online streaming world. A mentor of students at the Young

Women’s Leadership Network, Clarke says, “Diversity is a

multidimensional imperative for talent recruitment, develop-

ment, and retention in organizations that seek to innovate

and thrive in our dynamic industry.”

74. Maitee CuevaSVP, Programming and

Development, OWN

Recently promoted Cueva oversees

programming and development for

OWN’s Saturday night program-

ming block, which regularly scores

ratings wins among African Ameri-

can women. It’s important to Cueva that diversity extend to

storytelling on the network, and she sees diversity as going

beyond the standard defi nition of different races and genders.

“It’s about a variety of life experiences,” she says. “Everyone

has a unique outlook and perspective on life and their own

creative and interesting way to tell a story.”

75. David EspinosaSVP, Distribution – Strategic

Analysis, Fox Networks

Espinosa strategizes, negotiates,

implements and administers af-

fi liate and retransmission consent

agreements between Fox and its

cable, satellite and telco provid-

ers. “I’ve received a lot of guidance from friends, family,

mentors and colleagues over the years,” he says. “One of

the main lessons learned from them is to simplify things

and focus on what’s important.” Espinosa’s keen critical

strategic analysis has been vital to making smart decisions

regarding Fox Networks’ 44 owned-and-operated and joint

venture TV networks.

76. Keith HolmesSVP, Sales – Retail, Direct, MDU,

Cox Communications

Holmes oversees the impactful

retail program designed to enhance

customer service. Dubbed “The 5

Essential Behaviors,” the program

has greatly increased team morale

and the all-important Net Promoter Score for Cox and has

been so successful that he’s now expanding it to all fi eld

sales channels. Meanwhile, his colleagues are adopting it

across sales call centers. On the topic of success, Holmes is

fond of a quote from Mark Twain: “Let us endeavor so to live

that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”

Says Holmes: “If we can do that, we are successful.”

THE LEADERS


77. Cynthia HudsonSVP & GM, CNN en Español and

Hispanic strategy for CNN/U.S.

Chief among Hudson’s many ac-

complishments is the re-launch of

CNNespañol.com. “This website is

one of the key pillars of our busi-

ness and took years to develop

so that we could focus on the needs of Spanish-speaking

audiences around the world,” she says. Under her leader-

ship, CNNE won its fi rst two Emmys and two GLAAD Awards,

as well as an honorable mention at the Shorty Awards for

Best Multi-Platform Campaign for Social Coverage of 2014

Venezuelan Crisis.

78. Linda PanSVP, New Digital Business,

AMC Networks

As cable ramps up its OTT op-

tions, execs like Pan could become

increasingly integral to success. In

the past year she led the launch

of two new SVOD services at AMC

Networks: SundanceNow Doc Club and Shudder. These OTT

services offer curated video experiences for fans of the

world’s best documentaries and horror-themed program-

ming from around the globe. She’ll also focus on growing the

libraries in the coming months while cooking up new SVOD

services for the networks.

79. Julie YooSVP of Corporate Development,


Yoo identifi es, values and executes

acquisitions, joint ventures, invest-

ments and partnerships that support

Scripps’ growth objectives. Her goal

is to remain focused on core growth

ideas including digital and international. She will be instru-

mental in fi nishing the next phase of the TVN deal. An active

member of WICT, Yoo was named by NAMIC as a Luminary

for 2015. She tells us that she works hard to balance work,

family and herself, making sure she schedules time to attend

her two daughters’ various events.

80. Michele ThorntonSVP, Television Sales, Centric

Playing a pivotal role in revamping

the brand, Thornton’s creative vision

to make Centric the fi rst network

designed for black women has been

vital to its success. Thornton believes

fi rmly in mentorship and is commit-

ted to leading the next generation of executives. At 26, she

began rebuilding her own brand and hired a voice and diction

coach, focused on her education and graduated from college

at the age of 31. Thornton’s proof that you can push your re-

set button at any time.

81. Susette HsiungEVP, Network Production

Management and Operations,

Disney Channels Worldwide

Hsiung oversees more than 1000

hours of programming in both

single camera and multi-camera

formats at Disney. She leads a team

managing production companies credited with a long line

of critically acclaimed, award-winning series and movies

for Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior. She also

supports the ABC Family production team. On the diver-

sity front, Hsiung is an executive leader for Disney ABC TV

Group’s Global Workplace and Women’s initiative. “The more

we can showcase characters and stories with diversity in

mind, the better we can fi nd common ground,” says Hsiung,

who champions diverse players behind the scenes to tell

those stories.

82. Sunil ChaddaSVP, Finance,

NBCU Cable Entertainment

In his current role, Chadda over-

sees fi nance planning, analysis and

controllership for the cable entertain-

ment group. He also leads many

cross-cable entertainment operating

initiatives. A champion of mentoring, Chadda believes that

potential executives sometimes just need a push in the right

direction in order to shine. When advising a mentee who

lacked the confi dence to pitch ideas, “I explained that people

respect individuals who are willing to put themselves out

there. After some coaching they decided to pitch a big idea,

and the results were great.”


THE LEADERS

83. J.D. Myers II Market VP, Northern Virginia;

interim Region Manager, Virginia,

Cox Communications

Given his more than 30 years of

industry experience, it’s no surprise

that Myers was asked to take on the

role of interim Regional Manager for

all of Virginia this year while his predecessor was on personal

leave. Prior to that, he led the fastest growing market for

Cox Business in Northern Virginia. Myers is proud of being

awarded the Mae Douglas Leadership Award by NAMIC-

Atlanta a few months ago. “Receiving an award in Mae’s

name was an incredible honor for me,” he says. “Throughout

her career at Cox, Mae dedicated herself to driving talent and

developing leaders while emphasizing diversity across all

levels of our company.”

84. Paul RichardsonSVP, Human Resources, ESPN

and Chief Diversity Officer,

The Walt Disney Company

Richardson’s natural patience and

empathy for his team stems from his

caring deeply about the company’s

diversity goals. In fact, he champions

minority advancement across the industry. He oversees ES-

PN’s human resource efforts involving 50 different business

units and nearly 7000 employees worldwide. “A diversity and

inclusion defi nition embraces the perspective that everyone

matters,” he says. “Everyone’s voice and participation is

welcome and is required to drive employee engagement,

productivity and marketplace success.”

85. Tina SimmonsSVP of Human Resources,

Comcast Cable Central Division

Simmons focuses on making the

customer experience the best

product Comcast offers by building

a culture of employee commitment.

And she says the key is optimizing

the work environment and empowering employees to get

the job done right the fi rst time. Simmons’ uncanny ability

to inspire and empower people in order to achieve great

things is part of what makes her such a stand-out leader.

“It’s critical that our employees are along for the ride,”

Simmons says. “The Employee Engagement scores tell us the

employees are with us as we make the changes necessary to

deliver a superior experience.”

86. Lisa Williams-FauntroySVP, Business and Legal Affairs,

Discovery Communications

Williams-Fauntroy negotiates and

drafts crucial programming and

development deals for the world’s

#1 pay-TV programmer. Her complex

deal negotiations and transactional

work play a critical role in programming strategy for the

company. Over the next year, Williams-Fauntroy will continue

to collaborate with network leadership to manage business

strategies and legal processes that ensure viewers worldwide

can access Discovery’s high-quality content. On the topic of

diversity, the Discovery 18-year veteran says “cable can con-

tinue to support diverse organizations that groom emerging

leaders within corporations.”

87. John GiraldoChief Accounting Officer,

AMC Networks

Giraldo oversees AMC Networks’ in-

ternal accounting and transactions

as well as acquisition analysis and

integration of new strategic initia-

tives. That puts him squarely in the

center of the joint-venture agreement with BBC America,

in which AMC Nets took operational control. The work done

to integrate the deal’s complex accounting elements and

ensure diligence is a source of pride for Giraldo. “It was a

technically complicated arrangement that required signifi -

cant input from a technical accounting perspective with

many governance issues.”

88. Michelle StrongSVP, Distribution, A+E Networks

Strong’s mission is to lock in long-

term distribution deals and revenue

growth for A+E Networks. New to

her plate this year is oversight of

digital media and business devel-

opment for negotiating VOD, TV

Everywhere, mobile and other digital media products across

platforms. We’ll see more of this complex wheeling and

dealing next year as she looks for new ways to monetize the

company’s content. Strong believes that diversity in cable can

be achieved with “less talk and more action” and “by having

a willingness to include and an openness to varying experi-

ences, perspectives and cultures.”

THE LEADERS


89. Eglon Simons President & CEO, NAMIC

The retired Captain of the New York

Army National Guard is a forward-

thinking and highly supportive leader.

As NAMIC celebrates its 35th anni-

versary this year, Simons is focused

on building upon the legacy and

success of NAMIC’s current slate of initiatives by exploring

opportunities to expand the associations reach and enhancing

collaborative practices between NAMIC National, the associa-

tion’s 16 chapters and constituents representing the industry

at-large. In keeping with this mission, Simons successfully

guided his staff in executing strategic partnerships with an-

nual corporate sponsors, allied organizations, media partners

and other key stakeholders.

90. Mark KangSVP, Worldwide Distribution, INSP

Diversity to Kang is much like the

Stone Soup story. “When working

together with different ingredi-

ents, a greater good is achieved,

especially during scarcity,” he said.

Under his leadership, INSP has

expanded its distribution with major operators including

Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox, as well as with

small and mid-sized operators through NCTC. Born in

South Korea and raised in New York City, Kang began his

career in finance before he became a talent agent for In-

ternational Artist Agency. His entry into cable started with

Court TV (now known as truTV).

91. Rich JenningsSVP, Mountain West Region,

Comcast Cable

Earlier this year, Jennings was

named to his current position

where he oversees operations

in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New

Mexico and Utah, with more than

1.5 million customers and 3500 employees. A strong

advocate for minorities, Jennings laments that diversity is

not a natural state. “We have to proactively and purpose-

fully create it,” he says. In addition, Jennings was named

Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association,

Colorado Chapter.

92. Greg RegisSVP, Advertising Sales,

Travel Channel and

Great American Country

Overseeing ad sales strategy and

revenue, Regis negotiates con-

tracts that account for more than

60 percent of the networks’ annual

ad sales revenue. A graduate of St. John’s University with a

Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, Regis says his

biggest professional accomplishment over the last year has

been “working with the U.S. Travel Association, MasterCard

and Travel Channel to launch a consumer facing campaign

promoting ‘Project Time Off’” so that people can use more of

their paid time off to enjoy family and friends.

93. Alan LuiSVP, Human Resources,

Time Warner Cable

In a workplace where potential

mergers have danced on the hori-

zon for years, Lui’s efforts to ensure

50,000+ employees remain focused

and engaged in their jobs is vital,

especially with TWC poised to soon become part of Charter

Communications. “When I see the recent news coverage

about technology companies that have not been attentive

to diversity, I’m proud to be in a tech company that is out in

front, realizing the benefi ts of a diverse workforce,” he says.

94. Hestia LeiAVP, U-verse TV Content

Marketing and Programmer

Marketing,

AT&T Entertainment & Internet

Services

Lei focuses on enhancing the cus-

tomer experience for AT&T U-verse

subs and offering member perks by leveraging TV content

partnerships and creating campaigns surrounding TVE, kids

and holiday programming and other tentpole events. In

2014, she was one of only 30 AT&T leaders selected for the

year-long intensive General Managers’ Accelerated Devel-

opment Program, which advances execs’ business acumen

and strategic vision. “I was able to expand my internal net-

work with my peers and gain new insight into the world of

capital funding outside of my day-to-day world of consumer

marketing,” she says. “It was an invaluable and humbling

learning experience.”


THE LEADERS

95. Sameel OsuriSVP-CFO, Finance, US Networks,


Osuri manages fi nancial planning

and analysis, budgeting and strate-

gic planning for some of Discovery’s

most high-profi le business units.

Over the last year, he has played an

instrumental role as a fi nancial adviser for Discovery’s affi li-

ate renewal negotiations. Osuri is also an avid supporter of

Discovery’s global MentorNet program, which lets employees

connect with and learn from professional colleagues at the

company through one-on-one structured mentorships each

year. Diversity, he says, “isn’t about checking a box. It’s about

understanding where the world (our marketplace) is going in

such a connected day and age.”

96. Janice RobertsSVP, Field Services,

Cox Communications

Roberts trains technicians for

installations and support of Cox’s

product portfolio, including its home

security service Cox Homelife and

the addition of Gigabit Internet. She’s

charged with integrating technology tools so that the fi eld

service process is as effi cient and customer-friendly as pos-

sible. She’ll soon implement tech like real-time tech tracking

and rating apps, personalized appointment setting and self-

installation. Some sound advice from Roberts: “People are

the most important asset of any business… Be sure to invest

the time and energy into building strong, empowered and

motivated teams.”

97. Stephen (Steve) PaulusSVP, News & Local Programming,

Time Warner Cable

With an understanding of how

critical the journalistic reputation

of TWC’s local news outlets and its

fl agship NY1 News is to the busi-

ness, Paulus works hard to ensure

all news programming is relevant to viewers. “Diversity is

the essence of our business,” he says. “It is not just limited

to ethnic diversity, but includes diversity of political beliefs,

religion, geography and lifestyle. We are in communications,

and we must recognize that diversity and provide content

that is relevant to all of our viewers/customers [which is] an

amazingly diverse group.”

98. Rosalyn DurantSVP, College Networks

Programming, ESPN

In her new role at ESPN, Durant

sets the strategic direction for

the network’s college-focused

properties, guiding SEC Network

through its crucial second year

while keeping an eye to the ongoing development of the

maturing Longhorn Network and ESPNU. Beyond her many

contributions at ESPN, Durant serves on the Board of Di-

rectors of the T. Howard Foundation, which is dedicated to

increasing diversity in the multimedia and entertainment

industries. She is, in fact, an alumna of the Foundation’s

internship program. “Never let fear of failure stop you

from trying,” she says.

99. Judi LopezSVP, Affiliate Distribution and

Marketing, Fuse

As NUVOtv morphs into Fuse and

the programmer prepares to launch

new network FM, Lopez is lead-

ing the distribution push. With

more than 23 years of experience

in content distribution, affi liate marketing and advocacy,

Lopez also contributes to the National Council of La Raza,

Congressional Hispanic Caucus and other Hispanic groups

to advance the voice of Latinos in the media. “The industry

can better support diversity by hiring, training, mentor-

ing, supporting, championing and promoting employees of

diverse backgrounds,” she says.

100. Veronica CajigasSVP, Global Business Operations,


Cajigas continues to play a key role

as she helps to consolidate Discov-

ery’s rapidly growing international

businesses. Her ability to attentively

listen to diverse points of view—

coupled with her bilingual skillset—helps her to commu-

nicate in an objective manner that is hugely benefi cial in

creating a collaborative, effective team. She refers to this

skill as “translator ability.” “In our industry specifi cally, I

think recognizing that our clients and audiences are diverse

should translate into having a great level of diversity in our

workforces,” she says.

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THE INFLUENTIALS

David ArroyoSVP, Legal Affairs and

Internal Audit, Scripps

Networks Interactive

Arroyo implements

operational and

fi nancial compliance

audits. He also directs

the company’s adherence to policies,

procedures and regulations to increase

the effi ciency and effectiveness of

Scripps Networks’ assurance systems.

Arroyo says cable can better support

diversity by creating “an environment

that rewards contrarian thought, which

starts with hiring people of varying

backgrounds, life experiences and

modes of thinking.”

Tara AugustVP, Talent Relations,

Turner Sports

August, an all-star

when it comes to

dealing with players

in the sports world,

oversees all aspect of

the talent department across the divi-

sion’s television and digital platforms.

She has a special emphasis on serv-

ing as the primary liaison to all sports

teams, leagues, agents and celebri-

ties to facilitate contract negotiations

and special guest bookings. During

the 2015 NCAA Tournament, August

scored by securing Georgia State

Head Coach Ron Hunter to serve as

a studio analyst for CBS and Turner’s

coverage of the Sweet 16. “Diversity

is a patchwork of varying qualities,”

she says.

Alix BaudinSVP/GM, Digital

Operations, Scripps


Responsible for

delivering a next gen-

eration multi-platform

lifestyle media ex-

perience for fans of Scripps Networks’

lifestyle media brands, Baudin has

tirelessly built out the company’s digital

strategy and remains a guiding force

in its progression. He has expanded

content on to new platforms, including

Android TV and Chromecast. Scripps has

held a #1 comScore slot for 15 months

with Food Network sites while Food.com

has seen more than 100 percent growth

year over year.

Makesha BensonVP, Retention

Marketing,

Comcast Corporation

Benson identifi es and

executes strategic

market opportunities

to drive improvement

in loyalty with multicultural subscribers.

She also supports mentoring and is a

passionate advocate for diversity and

inclusion. Benson has served on the

board of WICT’s Chicago-area chapter

and is an active member of NAMIC. She

says she defi nes success the same way

her 5-year-old daughter does: by asking

“Am I doing what makes me happy?”

Paul BiavaVP, Technical

Operations,

Comcast Florida

In one of the most

competitive market-

places in the country,

employees under

Biava’s leadership have developed a

heightened sense of urgency when it

comes to serving customers. Fluent in

Spanish, he brings years of executive-

level business experience—both

domestic and international—to his

role.“Staying focused on the custom-

ers and delivering excellent service to

them, and the business will take care of

itself,” Biava advises.

Charlie Jordan BrookinsSVP of Original

Programming,

BET Networks

Jordan Brookins

oversees BET pro-

gramming including

“Being Mary Jane,”

and “Nellyville.” Next up is “According

to Alex,” which follows the daily life

of Alex Martin Dean, the daughter of

Whoopi Goldberg. To foster promotions

from within BET, Jordan Brookins has

developed BRIDGE (Building Re-

sources Internally to Develop Game-

Changing Executives), which allows

assistants to step up and shine. The

exec crossed her own “bridge” when

she completed WICT’s Betsy Magness

Leadership Institute. “The program

built my leadership toolkit tremen-

dously,” she says.

Cindy BrownVP, Program Planning

and Strategy, Scripps


With Brown’s smart

scheduling strate-

gies, she’s been able

to impact the ratings

records and growth at HGTV, DIY Net-

work and Great American Country. HGTV

recently celebrated its 14th consecutive

month of year-on-year ratings growth,

and fi nished the fi rst three months of

2015 with the highest quarterly adults

25-54 rating in history. Meanwhile, DIY

Network is breaking records as well,

and ratings at Great American Country

are at a six-year high.

Brie BryantVP, Development and

Production, Original

Programming

Oxygen Media

In her role, Bryant is

always looking for

diverse and extraor-

dinary stories. Enter Oxygen’s “The

Prancing Elites,” which follows an

all-male competitive dance team in

Mobile, Ala. “There is something to be

celebrated about an authentic group

of folks who never stop celebrating

who they are despite the rejection

and the hurdles that they have faced,”

Bryant tells us. Her gut was right, with

it marking the network’s highest-rated

series premiere among all key demos

since its rebrand. Bryant shared Oxy-

gen’s development meeting mantra,

which sounds like it could also be The

Prancing Elites’ theme song: “Feel the

fear and do it anyway.”


THE INFLUENTIALS

Adrienne ByrdSVP Legal, Sprout

Byrd brings 20 years

of experience in

corporate and media

law to her role at

Sprout. She ensures

that the network is in

compliance with FCC and FTC regula-

tions and provides legal guidance to

all departments across the network.

Away from work, Byrd sits on the

board of directors for the Settlement

Music School, the largest community

school of the arts in the United States.

Diversity, she says, “is starting to

include any group of people that dif-

fers significantly from another group

of people (whether it is appearance,

sexual orientation, veteran status of

level in your organization).”

Eric ClaytorSVP, Affiliate

Distribution and

Marketing,

Entertainment Studios

Network

Under Claytor’s guid-

ance, ESN experi-

enced double-digit growth in 2014,

with the addition of nearly 50 new

affi liate partnerships. Currently, ESN

can be seen in more than 75 markets

nationwide. The biggest story in cable

this year, he says, has been “‘Skinny

packages’—fewer channels for less.”

Claytor is also a co-founder and

board member of Renewing Smiles, a

non-profi t organization that focuses

on reducing the costs associated with

congeniality missing teeth.

Sean CoarGVP, Strategy and

Business Decisions,

Time Warner Cable

Media

When it comes to

managing new prod-

uct development and

strategy for Time Warner Cable Media’s

$1 billion advertising arm, Coar’s not-

so-secret secret is his ability to build

and nurture strong, diverse teams that

work well together. In the past year, “we

reorganized a team of a hundred-plus

employees under two new leaders. They

have performed beyond my wildest

expectations and I am so proud of their

success,” he says.

Michael CooperVP, Distribution

Marketing & Ad Sales,

Fox Networks

Cooper develops

marketing strategies

for Fox Networks’ dis-

tribution efforts, and

this year he oversaw numerous partner-

ship marketing implementations with

Fox Networks’ largest pay-TV partners.

With customers becoming more diverse,

“it’s imperative that the cable industry

knows how to reach and communicate

with them, as well as understand their

likes and dislikes. That means incorpo-

rating a different, less traditional way of

viewing things.”

Tonya CornileusVP, Learning &

Organization

Development, ESPN

In addition to her

primary duties,

Cornileus also serves

as an adviser to

senior management. She has spoken

at the Society for Human Resources

Management and acted as a volunteer

for Hands-On Atlanta and My Sister’s

House. Diversity, she says, “is the

awareness, understanding, apprecia-

tion, and inclusion of those differences

that make diversity within organiza-

tions a competitive advantage.”

Wayne DavisSVP, Human Resources,

West Division, Comcast

When Davis launched

a new internal

employee brand for

Comcast Cable’s West

Division earlier this

year, it underscored his commitment to

continuously making the division better

for customers, shareholders and one

another. The creation of a Center of

Excellence for employee communica-

tions allows 21,000 employees in 11

states to engage more fully. “As we

look to serve a broader, more diverse

customer base, we will be forced to

better understand the impact of culture

on how we operate and run our busi-

ness,” he says.

Maria Laino DeLucaSVP, Consumer and

Trade Marketing,

Bravo Media

DeLuca was a key

driver in the suc-

cessful launch of

Bravo’s fi rst scripted

series, “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,”

overseeing the marketing team as it

executed a series of traditional and

non-traditional initiatives timed to the

launch. Highlights included a buzzy ad

campaign featuring series star Lisa

Edelstein and that was banned by the

MTA for being too risqué. A role model

for Latinas and working mothers, De-

Luca says that she supports “cultivat-

ing talent in front of and behind the

camera.”

Monica DiazVP, Diversity, Inclusion

and Wellness, ESPN

Diaz brought more

than two decades

of experience in

the HR field when

she joined ESPN in

2012. She now coaches franchise

leaders and business executives in

areas of organizational development,

inclusion and sponsorship. When it

comes to mentoring, Diaz believes

in starting with minority students

in middle schools, colleges, and

universities throughout the U.S. and

Latin America. And while diversity

and inclusion often get referenced to-

gether, Diaz sees a distinct difference

between the two: “Diversity is about

who’s on the team. Inclusion is about

who gets to play.”


THE INFLUENTIALS

Oliver DizonSVP, Strategic Sales

Planning and Revenue

Enhancement, ESPN

Dizon leads the

day-to-day business

planning and pricing

activities, overall

marketplace evaluation, and develop-

ment of long-term and short-term ad

sales strategy at ESPN. Together with

the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and

ESPN Technology group, he over-

sees revenue management and price

optimization tools designed to maxi-

mize inventory across all the company

assets. “I don’t know if there is one big

story in cable this year,” says Dizon.

“But consolidation and cord cutting are

two of the topics that have certainly

dominated the news.”

Marty DominguezVP Marketing, C-SPAN

Thanks to

Dominguez’s market-

ing chops, C-SPAN’s

outreach efforts have

increased despite

a small staff and a

nonprofi t budget. Milestones include

executing 269 events with C-SPAN

marketing reps in various communities,

developing MSO co-branded bus tours

to universities, increasing local media

hits by 15% and exceeding the social

media campaign goal of one million

Twitter followers and 500K Facebook

likes by 206K followers and 140K likes,

respectively. She’ll soon tackle C-

SPAN’s signature election coverage with

“Campaign 2016: Road to the White

House.”

Jessica FangSVP, Distribution,

National Accounts,

Fox Networks

Fang works on some of

Fox Networks’ biggest

and most complex ac-

counts, so she always

seeks out new distribution models, in-

cluding VOD, online branded content and

any other viable emerging platforms she

identifi es. Ever modest, she shares her

success with her teammates, but says, “I

celebrated my 13th year anniversary this

past spring and I am proud to say I have

the privilege of working alongside the

best in the business.”

Leslie FarrellVP, Current

Production,

Bravo Media

Blind dates sometimes

do work out. That’s

what Farrell discovered

when unseen matches

were added to the 8th season of Bravo’s

“The Millionaire Matchmaker.” Other

additions to the show included celebrity

bachelors and bachelorettes along with

the introduction of a more dynamic re-

cruiting process, making it one of seven

series in 2015 to date to post season

over season growth in 18-49. Never one

to play it safe, she says “it’s okay to take

the unbeaten path.” Good advice, consid-

ering she’s also an active mentor.

Gregg FujimotoPresident, Oceanic

Time Warner Cable

Fujimoto’s vast mar-

keting skills—honed at

various agencies while

working with top-tier

clients like Major

League Baseball and brands including

Dell, Chrysler, and Nabisco—are now

helping to take TWC’s Hawaii operations

to the next level. As one of the nation’s

most diverse markets, diversity is a

matter of course. “It’s respecting and ac-

knowledging disparate beliefs, thoughts

and backgrounds in everyday actions,”

Fujimoto says.

Javier GarciaVP and GM,

Multicultural Services,

Comcast Cable

At Comcast since No-

vember 2014, Garcia

has helped grow the

company’s multi-

cultural customer base, making Xfi nity

products more accessible. He has also

spearheaded development of the indus-

try’s fi rst-ever Spanish User Interface for

the X1 Entertainment Operation System.

“At its core, diversity is about variety and

representation of multiple points of view,”

he says. “We see diversity not only as a

necessity but also as a strength and a

competitive advantage.”

Tonie GarciaVP of SMB Direct

Sales, Northeast

Division,

Comcast Cable

Garcia focuses on

driving direct sales

strategy and transfor-

mation efforts for the Northeast Division’s

small and medium-sized business clients

in 14 northeastern states—a footprint

consisting of nearly 500K SMB clients

and almost eight million residential

customers. This WICT member has also

completed the Partnership Fellows and

Corporate Emerging Leaders programs.

Glenn GoldsmithVP, Programming,

Mediacom

Communications

Goldsmith has

participated in every

major programing

deal Mediacom has

done in the last 15 years, and he was the

lead negotiator for all its retransmission

consent deals in 2014. It’s no secret that

impressed colleagues often seek out

Goldsmith’s counsel. And just last year he

imparted some of that same counsel as

a guest lecturer at St. John’s Law school:

“I focused on interest-based negotiation

and the techniques of resolving impasses

and responding to diffi cult negotiators

and diffi cult negotiating situations.”

Lisa Ray GriffinVP of Finance,

Turner Entertainment

Networks

Griffi n oversees

budgeting/long-range

planning, forecasting,

and fi nancial report-

ing for Turner Entertainment Networks.


THE INFLUENTIALS

She also provides strategic support for

network executives to assist them in

achieving business goals along with her

team of fi nance professionals. In addition

to her work at Turner, Griffi n undertakes

various volunteer efforts. And just this

year, NAMIC named her one of the indus-

try’s Emerging Business Leaders.

Maureen GuthmanSVP, Programming &

Acquisitions,

BET Networks

As an expert negotia-

tor, Guthman credits

her time working as

an airlines customer

service rep for honing that particular

skill. “Don’t eat lunch at your desk,”

she recommends. “A walk can stimu-

late thinking and can ultimately make

you more productive.” A devoted aunt

to 15 nieces and nephews, Guthman

continues to bolster career opportunities

for women, the LGBT community and

African Americans.

David HarlestonGeneral Counsel and

EVP, Business and

Legal Affairs, Al

Jazeera America

Harleston was behind

the acquisition of Cur-

rent TV by Al Jazeera

Media Network when he was the net’s

General Counsel. He then helped trans-

form Al Jazeera America into a national,

24/7 news channel. The biggest story

in cable for Harleston is consolidation.

“The outcome of the FCC’s pending

inquiry into OTT opportunities will speak

volumes about the future of program

access and the preservation of indepen-

dent programmer diversity.”

Eric HawkinsEVP, Human Resources,

Discovery

Communications

Hawkins oversees

Human Resources

Management for all

of Discovery’s U.S.

networks and joint ventures, includ-

ing talent management, leadership

development, recruitment, inclusion

and more. He’s been instrumental in

several high profile executive ap-

pointments for the company this year,

including welcoming Rich Ross as

President of the Discovery Channel,

and he plays an integral role as the

leader of Discovery’s strategic “HR

2020” initiative. “At Discovery,” he

says, “employees are the heart and

soul of our business. They are as var-

ied and vast as the brands we offer.”

Darrel HegarRVP, Operations —

Carolinas,

Time Warner Cable

Hegar’s well-rounded

background serves

him well in oversee-

ing field operations

and service delivery to more than

two million residential customers in

the Carolinas. His team of more than

4,000 employees serves accounts

totaling $2 billion plus in annual

revenue, indicating he took this busi-

ness advice to heart: “Take great care

of your employees, and they will take

great care of your customers,” he

says. “A customer experience deliv-

ered by a passionate and empowered

employee becomes a unique competi-

tive advantage.”

Zenita HendersonSenior Marketing

Manager, Global

Marketing, ARRIS

Henderson excels at

managing business

relationships both

within the global

sales team and with outside industry

associations. She also connects the

cable industry with local commu-

nity groups and is passionate about

empowering the next generation of

cablers. Take last year’s Tech It Out

“Wi-Fi Everywhere” event that she

planned with a group of WICT profes-

sionals. “The event was designed to

help non-technical people understand

the ‘how’ and ‘whys’ of cable tech-

nology and Wi-Fi,” she says. “I was

responsible for helping to craft the

agenda, attract speakers, and retain

some of the industry’s most influential

sponsors. It was a lot of work, but well

worth the effort.”

Dawn Holliday-MackVP of Audience

Strategy & Insights,

El Rey Network

Over the last year,

Holliday-Mack has

propelled El Rey

Network’s commit-

ment to diversity by spearheading

the creation of The El Rey Diversity

Council, an advisory group comprised

of leading national Latino advocacy

organizations. It’s all about sharing

best practices that promote diver-

sity, actively monitor the industry’s

progress, and publish detailed annual

reports. And this October, Holliday-

Mack will work with NALIP (National

Association of Latino Independent

Producers) to launch the inaugural

Latino Lens Filmmaker Showcase.

John HsuSVP, Treasurer &

Financial Strategy,

AMC Networks

Hsu oversees

corporate busi-

ness development,

evaluates business

opportunities and has a hand in risk

management, forecasting and M&A.

As such, he led the valuation team in

negotiating the acquisition of AMC’s

49.9% interest in BBC America and

advised on the acquisition of Chel-

lomedia, now AMC Networks Inter-

national, as well as AMC Ventures’

digital investments in DramaFever

Corporation. When it comes to the

BBCA acquisition, Hsu says it “rep-

resented the best of AMC Networks

with executives from all departments

pitching in and solving what seemed

like daily challenges.”


THE INFLUENTIALS

Quincy JohnsonVP, Digital

Advertising Systems,

Turner Broadcasting

Johnson brings

over 17 years of

experience to his role

in which he leads the

management of advertising systems

deployment, integration and execution

for Turner’s digital properties. Over

the past few years, he has been on

the technological team responsible for

the launch of TV Everywhere products

for Turner brands. Johnson serves as

a board member at the Victory World

Christian School, a non-profi t based in

Georgia, where he provides leadership

and governance in support of the

school’s mission.

James C. JonesExecutive Director, NAMIC Foundation

VP, Education &

Diversity Solutions,

NAMIC

Jones came from the

world of opera, having

attended New York’s

Juilliard School and

the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadel-

phia, where he studied classical singing.

He even spent 4 years performing in

Europe. But one proud moment for

Jones has little to do with his musical

pursuits. It was the graduation ceremo-

nies of NAMIC’s Executive Leadership

Development Program Class XIV. “I was

fortunate enough to accompany the

amazing execs who make up that cadre

on a seven-month journey of truth,

and soul, and intellectual growth that

couldn’t possibly be scripted. It doesn’t

get any better than that,” he says.

Teri KennedySVP, Current

Production, Oxygen

This Emmy-wining

producer is laser

focused on originals

for Oxygen’s young,

millennial female

viewers. Following the success of “The

Prancing Elites,” she’s rounding out the

slate with new series such as “Finding

My Father” and “Create Your Day Job.”

Personally, she defi nes success “by

how much I look forward to beginning

my day in the morning and how happy

I am when I go to bed at night.” When

she’s not at work, you can fi nd her

traveling and spending most of her free

time with her son Oscar.

Rob KingSVP, SportsCenter and

News, ESPN

King recently

oversaw the reor-

ganization of the

SportsCenter hier-

archy, involving the assignment desk

and news editors. Also, he installed

Hannah Storm as the solo anchor of

Sunday’s 9-10 a.m. ET SportsCenter.

When domestic violence became

one of 2015’s major issues, he gave

on-air prominence to Kate Fagan,

Jane McManus, Jemele Hill and Sarah

Spain. Quoting former ESPN presi-

dent George Bodenheimer, King says,

“There’s a lot of things in business

you cannot control, but one that you

can control is your culture.”

Patricia KollappallilSVP, Communications

and Talent Relations,

TLC and Animal Planet

In 2015, Kollappallil

and her team have

already secured

more than two dozen

hits on national morning programs

including “The Today Show” and “Good

Morning America” for TLC and Animal

Planet content. And her long-running

relationship with People magazine

has resulted in 13 major hits with the

respected publication including cover-

age of “I Am Jazz,” which features the

youngest legally transgendered girl,

Jazz Jennings, 14, as she enters high

school. “I am extremely proud of the

media campaign that helped introduce

Jazz and tell her powerful story,” says

Kollappallil, who lends her support as a

mentor to the Women in Entertainment

Mentorship Program.

Ebony LeeVP, Strategic

Development,

Comcast Cable

Lee develops busi-

ness cases around

new, innovative

products, platforms

and technologies. She also helps to

bring ideas to life by working across

the company with groups like prod-

uct development, government affairs

and content acquisition to make sure

Comcast shapes and builds the right

business requirements into its next-

gen products and platforms. Lee also

participates in Comcast’s Employee

Resources Group Mentorship Program,

which pairs entry- to mid-level em-

ployees with senior leaders.

Kim LewisSVP, Ad Sales,

BET Networks

Lewis has been in-

strumental in growing

BET Networks and ad

sales revenue across

all platforms, reaching

more than 89 million homes. She was

also instrumental in signing advertisers

for the three-day BET Experience Festi-

val and BET Awards, helping to secure

companies ranging from Coca-Cola,

Samsung, Denny’s, Apple, Twix, Nissan

and AT&T. Regarded as both a manager

and a mentor to ad sales executives,

this 23-year BET veteran continues to

make a major impact on BET Networks’

successful brand partnerships.

Carla Lewis-LongVP, Distribution and

Affiliate Relations,

Participant Media/

Pivot

Lewis-Long drives

distribution, market-

ing and awareness of

Participant Media’s Pivot. And this past

year, she has expanded the network’s

VOD footprint and TVE availability with

MVPDs while increasing Pivot’s pres-

ence at colleges and universities—

more than 50 campuses to date. A


THE INFLUENTIALS

diverse working environment “embod-

ies and refl ects the world we live in,”

she says, “where every voice is heard

and every voice and perspective is

valued and matters.”

Lori LynemVP, Business Affairs,

NBCUniversal Cable

Entertainment

Lynem serves as one

of the lead nego-

tiators for USA, Syfy,

and Universal Cable

Productions. With more than 20 years

of corporate and entertainment law

experience, she negotiates above-

the-line development and production

deals for both scripted and unscripted

pilots and programs. A member of the

Corporate Counsel Women of Color,

Lynem says “the cable industry can

do better by making hiring decisions

that go against the norm either in the

executive ranks, in front of the camera

or behind the camera.”

Tony MaldonadoVP, Marketing -

Retention/Base

Management,

Cox Communications

Maldonado has

built a marketing

strategy team that

encompasses the complete customer

lifecycle, thereby transforming the

MSO’s approach to nationwide mar-

keting. We’ll see more of this person-

alized approach in the coming year,

as well as a focus on retention and

customer-base management. Despite

his success at work, Maldonado says

his greatest accomplishment over the

past 12 months has been learning to

give his wife “more dedicated focus

and attention” and “being more in-

tentional about work/life balance.” So

not only does Maldonado understand

his customers as a master marketer,

but he gets it when it comes to fam-

ily too. And that’s work-life diversity

worth celebrating.

Rodolfo MartinezVP of Production,

ESPN Deportes &

ESPN International

Coming off of last year’s

win with the produc-

tion of the 2014 FIFA

World Cup, Martinez is

now leading the launch of the new ESPN

studios in Mexico City, which are set to

open this fall. The space includes four

new HD studios along with state of the art

control rooms and editing facilities. With

more than 20 years of production experi-

ence under his belt, Martinez continues to

mentor many of his colleagues at ESPN.

“Diversity is inclusion of multiple and dif-

ferent points of view,” he says.

Dennis MathewVP of Product, Xfinity

Home, Comcast Cable

Mathew heads up

the launch of new

Xfinity Home prod-

ucts and features,

congratulations

carlayou made a difference

pivot congratulates our very own

Carla Lewis-Long for being chosen as

one of Cablefax: The Magazine’s “most

influential minorities in cable” for 2015


THE INFLUENTIALS

including the development of the

deployment playbook. Mathew’s

product management responsibili-

ties also include resolving product

defects and process issues to ensure

key Xfinity Home operational metrics

are in line with business goals. He

earned his MBA from University of

Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of

Business.

Naketha MattocksVP, Original Movies,

Disney Channels

Mattocks is charged

with supervising

creative develop-

ment for the hugely

successful Disney

Channel Original Movie division. The

franchise has produced TV’s #1 movie

telecast among tweens 9-14 for the

past 14 consecutive years. Two recent

Disney Channel films—“Descendants”

and “Teen Beach 2”—rank as the #1

and #2 movies on television in their

respective demos. “There were so

many talented people who all worked

incredibly hard to make that happen,

and I’m thrilled about it,” she says.

A graduate of Emerson College, she

serves on the Foundation Board of

Women in Film.

Patricia MaysExecutive Editor,

ESPN.com, ESPN

Mays oversees a

number of assign-

ment editors, who

work directly with

reporters. She also

partners with news and blog editing

teams to manage all the content across

digital platforms. In the coming year,

she will continue to lead homepage

and daily coverage across many plat-

forms, regions and core product pillars.

In addition, she recently participated on

a “Combatting Stereotypes of Women

in Media” panel at the annual Associa-

tion for Women in Sports Convention.

“People often oversimplify when talk-

ing about diversity,” she says.

Brigitte McCraySVP, Program Planning

and Strategy, Scripps


McCray joined the

Travel Channel in

2010 and brings

more than 20 years of

experience in the television industry at

both broadcast and cable networks. In

her new role, she leads brand research

in addition to overseeing short and

long-term program planning, scheduling

and managing all acquisitions for the

network. “The key to success and hap-

piness is spending our time and money

experiencing life,” she says.

Charlon McIntoshGVP, Business Class

Customer Care,

Time Warner Cable

Known for building

strong teams and col-

laborative relationships,

McIntosh knows how to

motivate her colleagues and co-workers

to do their best in every situation. In over-

seeing customer care operations of the

company’s rapidly growing Business Class

division, she constantly fi nds new ways to

deliver superior customer experiences for

all commercial customers. Asked how she

defi nes success, McIntosh says it’s simple:

“For me success is doing what you love

and doing it well.”

Nodir NazarovVP, IP Technology,

Cablevision Systems

Nazarov and his team

have focused intently on

providing better service

to Cablevision’s custom-

ers. And as part of that

effort, they developed infrastructure that

increased broadband speeds more than 60

percent for the company’s core Optimum

Online service—provided to customers at

no incremental cost. Now Cablevision cus-

tomers can access their services in even

more places out of the home, are safer on

the Internet, and experience fewer disrup-

tions. “Diversity,” he says, “is the state of

acceptance of all human permutations.”

Philip NutsugahVP, Product

Development and

Management,

Broadband Access

Intelligence, Cox

Communications

Nutsugah develops

and manages products within Cox’s

wireline and wireless portfolio. That

includes Cox’s 1 Gigabit fi ber service,

dubbed Gigablast, its high-speed

Internet, Cox WiFi and the evolution

to DOCSIS 3.1. He also drives the

strategy behind Cox’s Gigabit Internet

plans—a project that launched in just

fi ve months—and is ensuring that

speed increases occur regularly. The

best business advice he’s ever received

is simple: “First, do your job!” he says.

“Meaning, there is no substitute for

delivering on your commitments and

achieving the results you signed up for.”

Amalia O’SullivanVP, Xfinity Internet

Product

Communications,

Data and Mobility,

Comcast Cable

This past year,

O’Sullivan was inte-

gral to a number of key projects for

Comcast’s Xfinity Internet and Xfinity

WiFi businesses. Most significantly,

she managed the rollout of Gigabit

Pro to millions of homes, which will

be available across the company’s

footprint by year-end. She continues

to mentor a number of minorities

both at Comcast as well as within the

Filipino community, guiding ment-

ees through the company and the

Philadelphia region by sharing her

experiences, fostering potential and

offering advice.

Satyanarayana ParimiGVP, Product

Management –

Business Services

Time Warner Cable

Parimi’s success

hinges largely on his

keen understanding


THE INFLUENTIALS

of business clients’ needs and how

TWC’s products and services can help

boost client productivity. He developed a

vertical support organization specifi cally

geared to larger business clients, and

created a new pricing strategy for most

of the Business Services’ major product

families across all sales channels. His

defi nition of success: “It’s making a pos-

itive and meaningful difference in the

lives of the people you support and the

people that rely and depend on you.”

Mike ParkerSVP, Western New

England Region,

Comcast Cable

Only recently pro-

moted, Parker now

leads a team of more

than 1700, covering

the Connecticut, western Massachusetts

and Vermont areas. His goal has been

to build on the region’s recent track

record of success, as refl ected by its

being named as Comcast Region of the

Year for 2014. Parker also lends insight

into issues that impact not only Comcast

but cable providers in general. An active

member of the Boys & Girls Club of

Chicago, Parker and his wife also spend

time coaching their own children, who

are accomplished swimmers.

Leslie PearceVP, Sales and

Retention Operations,

Comcast Cable,

Central Division

Pearce has cre-

ated tactical plans to

optimize call center

efficiencies including agent productiv-

ity and call routing optimization. She

also led the development and deploy-

ment of a new retention compensation

plan for the Central Division. “Driving

efficiencies is key,” she says. “Our

inbound sales centers are located

in multiple states and in multiple

locations.” Pearce, a graduate of the

NAMIC Executive Leadership Program,

actively mentors minorities through

The Consortium for Graduate Study in

Management.

Bret PerkinsVP, External Affairs,

Comcast Corporation

Perkins serves as a

vital leader for Com-

cast’s signature com-

munity investment

program, Internet

Essentials. Since he helped launch the

program in 2011, nationally, Internet

Essentials has connected more than

450,000 low-income families, or 1.8

million Americans, to the Internet. An

active member of Comcast’s Internal

Diversity Council, Perkins says that

cable can better serve diversity by

“understanding the difference be-

tween ‘intent’ and ‘commitment.’ I am

proud of the great strides we’ve made

as a company. Our progress is a result

of commitment.”

Tina Perry EVP, Business and

Legal Affairs, OWN

You can call Perry the

dealmaker. She makes

plenty, whether they’re

for programming such

as miniseries “Tulsa”

or OWN’s rapidly growing digital busi-

ness. OWN’s made a name in the digital

space by monetizing it through products

such as digital courses and online medi-

tation. As OWN’s slate grows, Perry will

continue to oversee all production deals

for scripted programming and play a key

role in digital. The best piece of busi-

ness advice she’s ever received? “That

business is not about money, deals or

terms,” she says. “It’s about people. In

order to negotiate terms, close deals

and ultimately make money you have to

be straight with people and treat them

like you’d expect to be treated.”

Indrajit PonnambalamGVP, Finance for

Residential Revenue

and Subscriber

Analytics,

Time Warner Cable

Known as a someone

gifted with an innate

understanding of fi nancial issues, Pon-

nambalam oversees fi nancial planning

and analysis for Time Warner Cable’s

Residential division. But success isn’t

always measured by numbers. “To

me, success is using your talents and

interests to achieve your goals and

positively impact the world around

you,” he says. “The key is not measur-

ing success based on other people’s

expectations, but rather your own

values and goals.”

D’Angela ProctorSVP Original

Programming &

Production, TV One

Over the last year, Proc-

tor has helped achieve

the network’s highest

rated Q1 and Q2 with

strong performances from the network’s

fi rst-ever simulcast with PBS, the addition

of the Stellar Awards, and the successful

launch of a new original movie a month. A

former lawyer, Proctor’s legal mind comes

in handy when negotiating with production

companies. “Success,” she says, “is loving

who you are becoming, loving what you

do and how you do it, and being appreci-

ated for all.”

Lynette RamirezSVP, Original Content,

Fuse Media

With Fuse’s relaunch

and new network

FM to debut later

this year, Ramirez

has a lot on her

plate. She’s especially proud of the

multiyear partnership she helped

score with comedian Gabriel “Fluffy”

Iglesias this year. “He’s an amaz-

ingly powerful comedian that breaks

stereotypes, unites cultures and is a

bonafide global star, appearing to sold

out crowds from Madison Square Gar-

den to Saudi Arabia,” she says. Other

content she’s bringing to Fuse in-

cludes “Transcendent,” a docu-series

on what it’s like to be transgender in

America today. A colleague credits

Ramirez with the special knack of

exploring underground culture and

bringing it to the forefront.


THE INFLUENTIALS

Sharmila RaviVP of Business

Operations for

Consumer Services,

Comcast Cable

Since joining

Comcast in 2005,

Ravi has influenced

many of the MSO’s important rollouts,

including Caller ID to the TV and PC.

Ravi counts “launching fastest speeds

and WiFi to our customers while cut-

ting customer reported troubles in

half” as a major accomplishment over

the last year. She is deeply involved

in South Indian community activities/

awareness programs, volunteering

and coordinating fundraisers for many

Indian American charity organizations.

Anna Tran ReynaSVP, Business & Legal

Affairs Digital Media,

Fox Networks Group

Reyna helped negoti-

ate several key pay-TV

carriage deals that

made TV Everywhere

a reality across multiple platforms and

devices for Fox Networks. She also was

instrumental in extending the digital

reach of FOX Sports GO, FXNOW, Nat

Geo TV, and BTN2GO to millions of pay-

TV subscribers. “Cable has the capacity

to feature a plurality of information,

opinions and interests,” she says. “The

more the cable industry can speak to

diverse audiences, the larger and more

engaged its viewership will be.”

Caralene RobinsonEVP, Brand Marketing

and Creative, VH1

Robinson hasn’t wasted

any time since joining

VH1 a couple years

ago: Her two shows—

“Dating Naked” and

“Mob Wives”—have already earned a

handful of PROMAX/BDA nominations. As

2016 approaches, Robinson’s focused on

maintaining the strength of VH1 strong-

holds such as “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta,”

Mob Wives and “Couples Therapy” while

launching new scripted vehicles, original

movies and broader unscripted fare. “Proj-

ects such as ‘Empire’ and Straight Outta

Compton prove that diverse storytelling is

monetizable,” she says.

Paul RobinsonGVP, Telesales –

Business Services,

Time Warner Cable

Robinson’s deter-

mination to create a

performance-based

culture within Time

Warner Cable’s small business telesales

organization has proven quite valu-

able. Overseeing more than 350 sellers

in seven centers across the country,

Robinson helped drive delivery of year-

over-year growth in Business Services.

“The best advice I have received is not

to worry about the career opportunities

that are ahead of you. Give 100% effort

to your current opportunity, and your

hard work will be noticed,” he says.

Freddy RolonVP, Programming and

Business Entities,

ESPN Deportes, ESPN

Rolon oversees the

ESPN Deportes Radio

and ESPNDeporte-

sLA.com businesses,

coordinating efforts between ad sales,

affi liate sales and production teams in

Miami and Los Angeles. He also drives

programming acquisitions, program de-

velopment and program scheduling for

ESPN Deportes, in addition to being the

point-person for internal stakeholders

as well as external relationships with

leagues and rights holders. Earlier this

year, NAMIC honored Rolon with a Next

Generation Leaders Luminaries award.

Miguel SantosGeneral Manager,

Myx TV

Santos oversees the

Asian American net-

work’s strategy, pro-

gramming, produc-

tion, marketing, ad

sales and business development, with

the goal of elevating the narratives of

one of the most under-represented

minority groups in media. With Santos

at the helm, the net launched on Time

Warner Cable in southern California

last November. He also upped the

net’s digital offerings and launched

four new original programs. Santos

defines diversity as something “be-

yond physical manifestation of race

or gender—it’s about everything that

makes us human such as our beliefs,

personalities, and experiences.”

Savalle SimsEVP, Deputy General

Counsel, Discovery

Communications

Sims manages all

litigation and intel-

lectual property mat-

ters for the world’s

#1 pay-TV programmer. Promoted in

December 2014, Sims has become

increasingly critical. From oversee-

ing risk management across the

company to her close work with busi-

ness affairs, talent management and

production, she not only creates huge

value for Discovery but was recog-

nized in 2014 for her commitment

to diversity as a member of NAMIC’s

annual Luminary list. “Diversity is

ultimately about inclusion,” she says.

“Diversity is the byproduct of inclu-

sion that leads to richer thinking,

invites more creative solutions, and

results in greater productivity.”

Jeffrey E. SmithSVP & Deputy Counsel,

Comcast Cable

Smith heads the

Cable Operations

practice group in the

Cable Law Depart-

ment, counseling in

advertising and marketing, purchas-

ing and procurement, commercial

business services, new products, and

general operations and facilities. A

graduate of both Brown University

and Harvard Law School, Smith was

previously SVP & General Counsel of

Broadnet Europe Sprl, a foreign oper-

ating subsidiary of Comcast.


THE INFLUENTIALS

Madhu Goel SouthworthVP, Legal & Business

Affairs, AMC Networks

Entertainment

Southworth heads up

AMC Studios’ over-

sight of domestic and

international licenses for

AMC hits like “The Walking Dead,” “Fear

the Walking Dead” and “Mad Men.” Attrac-

tions like Universal Studios Hollywood’s

The Walking Dead and their counterparts in

Orlando, Hong Kong, Germany, Spain and

Italy fall under her purview, as do several

“Mad Men” extensions like a special exhibit

at the Museum of Modern Art and Mad Men

Dining Week. Southworth says cable can

support diversity by identifying talented,

diverse executives early and providing them

“a seat at the table.”

Marcela TabaresSVP, Revenue

Research,

A+E Networks

Tabares and her tal-

ented research team

are a busy bunch.

She’s currently

co-chairing a newly formed internal

multicultural insights team, develop-

ing proprietary ad sales research that

examines how to connect with women

in the traditionally male-dominant au-

tomotive category, and partnered with

Magid Research to explore the impact

of a program’s “emotional tonality” on

advertising effectiveness. On the latter

she notes that “the most important

driver of ad effectiveness was the

level of viewer affinity to a program—

love matters!”

Lawrence TuckettVP, Design Services,

AMC

Tuckett is respon-

sible for maintaining

a consistent look for

the AMC brand, from

consumer marketing to

ad campaigns to social media. In the past

year, he has assembled creative digital

press kits for some of AMC’s big originals

like “The Walking Dead,” “Humans” and

the much-buzzed-about “Fear the Walk-

ing Dead.” Tuckett defi nes diversity as

“seeking and understanding the value in

unique and various life experiences.”

Raúl ValentinHR Business Partner,

Strategic Development

Team, Comcast

In his new role, Valen-

tin is accountable for

all aspects of HR for

the enterprise wide

team, which supports all key partner-

ships, strategic deals and business

incubators across several business ver-

ticals, including digital, technology starts

ups, energy and health initiatives. With

25 years of experience in his fi eld, he is

highly regarded for his leadership and

expertise in building strong, results-ori-

ented teams. “Signifi cant improvements

in talent acquisition metrics,” Valentin

says has been his greatest professional

accomplishment over the past year.

Kavita VaziraniSVP, Media Strategy,

Comcast Cable

Vazirani manages

Comcast Cable’s multi-

million dollar media

portfolio and handles

all activities related

to media planning and buying. She also

manages strategic partnerships for

broadcast media, cable, entertainment

and digital media, and supervises media

and traffi c operations for Comcast’s

National Marketing Interconnect. A strong

supporter of WICT’s mentoring program,

Vazirani also participates in Comcast’s

Asian Pacifi c American Employee

Resource Group Mentorship Program.

“Diversity,” she says, “is about looking at

the world from someone else’s eyes.”

Andrew WangVP, Scripted

Development and

Production,

Bravo Media

The news isn’t always

bad after a split. Under

Wang’s leadership,

Bravo launched its fi rst scripted series

“Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” which

averaged an impressive 824K in A18-

49, 910K in A25-54. In June, he helped

launch “Odd Mom Out,” the network’s

fi rst half-hour scripted comedy. Wang

embraces the best business advice he

ever got: “We get to make television for

a living… enjoy it!”

Crystal WashingtonSVP, External

Relations, Diversity

and Inclusion, Scripps


Since the promotion

to her current role

in 2014, Washington

continues to enhance and manage

the company’s relationship with key

constituents and community partners.

Those efforts have strengthened

Scripps’ position in the marketplace,

and helped to cement a diverse pool

of vendor partners. “Diversity should

be a part of every discussion,” she

says. “The question is not how do we

increase diversity (on-air, on-line and

in our workforce), but why can’t we

retain diversity.”

Donna Rattley WashingtonVP, Government and

Community Affairs,

Comcast Cable

Over the past year,

Rattley Washington

and her team

sponsored hundreds

of community investment events,

many supporting the company’s youth

education and leadership and digital

literacy initiatives. She sits on the

board of directors for multiple national

and local organizations in support of

causes about which she’s passionate.

While expanding the region’s involve-

ment in the community, Rattley

Washington continues her regulatory

and legislative work on behalf of

Comcast. “We’re able to offer

consumers a whole new way to

experience TV that provides the

flexibility to get the content the way

on their own terms,” she says.

The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications warmly congratulates its Executive Leadership Development Program alumni for being

honored as members of the 2015 Most Influential Minorities in Cable.

Celebrating 35 years of a rich history, developing leaders and advancing multi-ethnic diversity and inclusion.

JOIN OR RENEW TODAY! www.namic.com

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Michael D. ArmstrongEVP & GM, International

Brand DevelopmentViacom International

Media Networks

Sean CoarGroup VP, Strategy &

Business Decisions - MediaTime Warner Cable

Makesha BensonVP, Customer

Marketing RetentionComcast Cable

Rita FerroEVP, Disney Media Sales & Marketing

The Walt Disney Company

David Arroyo582┸".Ø"#プÆøœ& Internal Audit

Scripps Network Interactive

Rosalyn DurantSVP, College Networks

ESPN

Paul BiavaVP, Technical Operations

Comcast

Henry “Hank” ForeRegional SVP for the

California RegionComcast

Tamara FranklinEVP, Digital


Vicky FreeEVP of Marketing &

%Æ"/øŁßÆº"1プÆø"BET Networks

Sharmila RaviVP of Business Operations for

Consumer ServicesComcast Cable

Michael SmithSVP & GM of Cooking ChannelScripps Networks Interactive

Freddy RolonVP, Programming & Business

Entities, ESPN DeportesESPN

Marcela TabaresSVP, Revenue Research

A+E Networks

Michelle L. RiceEVP, Content Distribution &

MarketingTV One, LLC

Michelle StrongSVP, Distribution

A+E Networks

Robert SimmelkjaerSVP, Sports Ventures &

International NBC Sports Group

Michele ThorntonSVP, Sales, CENTRIC

BET Networks

Crystal WashingtonSVP, External Relations &

Vendor ManagementScripps Networks Interactive

Charlon McIntoshGroup VP,

Business ClassCustomer Care

Time Warner Cable

Michael ParkerVP of Operations,

Greater Chicago RegionComcast Cable, Central Division

Philip NutsugahVP, Product Development &

ManagementBroadband Access

Cox Communications

Bret PerkinsVP, External &

)æ©øºŒºß"#プÆøœComcast Corporation

J.D. Myers llMarket VP,

Northern Virginia;Interim Region Manager, Virginia

Cox Communications

Leslie PearceVP of Sales &

Retention OperationsComcast Cable, Central Division

Satyanarayana ParimiGroup VP, Product Management

Time Warner Cable

Pragash PillaiSVP, Infrastructure Engineering

Cablevision

Indrajit PonnambalamGroup VP, Finance for Residential Revenue & Subscriber Analytics

Time Warner Cable

David PorterExecutive Director,

The Walter Kaitz Foundation

Lino GarciaGM, ESPN Deportes

ESPN

Quincy JohnsonVP, Digital Advertising &

Analytics SystemsTurner Broadcasting

Barbara L. GeeVP, Online Sales Alliances

Comcast Cable

Lori Lynem82┸"$-œÆºœœ"#プÆøœ┸"

NBCUniversal EntertainmentNBCUniversal

Mark GarnerSVP, Distribution, Business Development, Analytics &

MarketingA+E Networks

James C. JonesVP of Education Programs &

Diversity Solutions & Executive Director, NAMIC Foundation

NAMIC

Darrel HegarRegional VP,

Operations - CarolinasTime Warner Cable

Kay Madati'82"┃"%Æ"&ÆÆßØ"1ポø

BET Networks

Rodolfo MartinezVP of Production, ESPN

Deportes & ESPN InternationalESPN

Dennis MathewVP of Product, Xfinity Home

Comcast Cable


THE TECHIES

Sherita Ceasar SVP, National Video

Development Engineering,

Comcast Cable

Ceasar has led the national

launch of Comcast’s cloud

TV service giving millions

of customers recording and

playback capabilities to their

TVs and second screen devices.

The exec has also contributed

signifi cantly to the creation of

a diverse candidate pipeline for

Comcast. As part of that effort,

she brought Comcast together

with FIRST, a non-profi t group

dedicated to encouraging

adolescents to be science

and technology leaders, and

Comcast is making its largest

donation ever to FIRST this year.

Terry CordovaSVP & CTO, Suddenlink

Cordova’s most visible work is

the continued rollout of Opera-

tion GigaSpeed and the launch

of 1 Gigabit service for the lion’s

share of Suddenlink’s custom-

ers. The exec sticks to this busi-

ness advice: “Take care of the

customer like you would take

care of your own family,” he

says. With his 250-person team

overseeing technical operations

and engineering, Cordova leads

Suddenlink’s multi-million dol-

lar investment in a system that

will help manage its network

and all of its components, and

better position it to forecast

infrastructure capacity and

further enhance customer

service. The system goes online

this year.

Jatin Desai CTO, itaas,

a Cognizant company

Desai remains itaas’ chief

architect and technical vision-

ary, guiding project and product

development and helping

customers with their techni-

cal goals. He’s now focused

on delivering on the vision of

revenue-generating interactive

services such as transactional

TV, multi-screen and multi-plat-

form applications. The goal is to

enable interactivity for cable, IP,

DTH, and wireless technologies

across platforms such as RDK,

iOS, HTML5, Android, CEA2014,

MoCA and DLNA.

Edgar FigueroaPresident & CEO,

WiFi Alliance

With 725 million WiFi house-

holds worldwide in 2015, the

continued growth of the In-

ternet of Things suggests that

WiFi will play a key role when

it comes to interoperability

between a multitude of con-

nected devices. Figueroa leads

those efforts, with a unique

background that makes him

well qualifi ed to be the master

mediator and collaborator for

this growing sector. After all,

as the only son in a family with

5 daughters, Edgar regularly

found himself mediating family

issues. Being able to refl ect on

an endeavor with recognition

that “we did our best” is part

of how he defi nes success.

Barbara GeeVP, Online Sales Alliance,

Comcast Cable

Gee drives Comcast’s

e-Commerce strategy, 3rd-

party alliances and customer

acquisition and retention.

She will focus on the creation

of Digital Centers of Excel-

lence to further improve the

customer experience in 2015

and 2016. Her defi nition of

success? “Making consistent

positive impacts toward my

happiness and the happiness

and well-being of my personal

family, my work family, and my

community,” she says. With

her youngest son joining his

big brother at Penn State this

fall, Gee is looking forward to

becoming an empty nester.

Andrew IpSVP, Optimum Labs,

Cablevision Systems

As Cablevision has expanded

its WiFi networks and services

over the past 12 months, Ip

and his team have worked

on initiatives such as the

launch of WiFi phone service

Freewheel. In fact, Ip will play

a key role as Cablevision looks

to build synergies with emerg-

ing technology entrepreneurs

and companies to enhance its

tech platform and improve the

customer experience. When it

comes to diversity, cable is at

a point of transition, “redefi n-

ing itself in line with consumer

and business needs,” he says.

Bryant Isaacs President & General

Manager, Arris Assurance

Solutions, Arris

Isaacs leads Arris’ OSS, digital

video and fi xed mobile conver-

gence business units, which

are integral to the company’s

growth strategy. His biggest

professional accomplishment

in the past 12 months? “We

have renewed our vision and

mission moved the organi-

zation to an Extreme Agile

(DevOps) mode of operation.

This has created a renewed

focus and excitement in

the organization and led to

exciting new opportunities

with key customers,” he says.

He recently served as board

member of Rev2, a startup

focused on risk management

software and an advisory

board member of embed UR,

startup focused on embedded

software technology.

Nancy Jo VP, Strategic Development,

Cable Entertainment, NBCU

Strategy & Business

Development, Bravo and

Oxygen Digital Media

Not only does Jo spearhead

business growth opportuni-

ties and key initiatives in the

digital media space for Oxygen


THE TECHIES

and Bravo, but she also drives

cross-portfolio business

development efforts. Jo always

has her eye on the news, and

counts HBO’s launch of its

direct-to-consumer offering

and the increasing availability

of OTT options as the biggest

story in cable this year. And you

can count on Jo to identify new

partnerships and capitalize on

market trends like streaming

video to grow revenue across

multiple platforms.

Aljit Joy SVP, Comcast Innovation

Labs, Comcast Cable

Joy works with some of the

smartest people in the cable

industry. He leads Comcast’s

Lab teams, which include

PhDs, Distinguished Fellows

and hundreds of active inven-

tors from a wide variety of

educational backgrounds. The

lab’s long-term focus includes

network, video and data infra-

structure; connected spaces

and devices; consumer Inter-

net; new apps and platforms;

and next-gen wireless technol-

ogy. He defi nes success as

“helping people grow along

with businesses growth.”

Charlene KeysArea VP, Operations-South

Carolina, Time Warner Cable

Under Keys, Time Warner

Cable’s South Carolina market

encompasses more than

400,000 customers and 400

employees. And she says that

acknowledging, respecting

and capitalizing on people’s

differences is what diversity

means in the workplace. Mov-

ing forward, Keys’ priorities

include improvements in

packaging, customer reten-

tion and the overall customer

experience, including product

enhancements and better

customer service. She contin-

ues to oversee new-business

integration and is spearhead-

ing many key initiatives for

the company.

Damon PhillipsVP, Digital Product

Management, ESPN

Focus on your strengths.

That’s one of the best pieces

of business advice Phillips has

received. And that’s exactly

what he has done at ESPN. For

years, he has driven program-

ming for ESPN3, and now with

ESPN Cricket 2015, he has

created a gateway for multi-

cultural sporting events that

may otherwise not have made

it to the small screen. He plays

a key role in some of the most

active and innovative digital

video initiatives in media today.

Pragash PillaiSVP, Infrastructure

Engineering,

Cablevision Systems

Pillai’s impact on Cablevi-

sion in 2014 was sig-

nificant, as he managed the

deployment of increased

speed for the Optimum

Online service. Under his

management, Cablevision

also continued to enhance

its VOD, MR-DVR and voice

infrastructure. He says it’s

all about teamwork. “We

have brought all of Cablevi-

sion’s core infrastructure

teams together in one team

via the establishment of

our infrastructure engineer-

ing group,” he says. And

that puts everything under

one umbrella, supporting

a more seamless and ef-

ficient approach.

Michael QuigleySVP, Brand Distribution,

Turner Broadcasting

Systems

Quigley transitioned into a

new role this year oversee-

ing account management

functions for Turner’s major

domestic affiliate clients

and ad integration initia-

tives with distribution part-

ners. This forward-thinking

and strategic executive has

become deft at navigat-

ing the changing media

landscape and creating

new revenue-generating

distribution opportunities.

He sees two big stories in

cable this year as consoli-

dation and the launch and

expansion of OTT services,

both by operators and

content providers. He’s

now working on expand-

ing linear and on-demand

content distribution op-

portunities, which include

OTT, SVOD and other new

business masters.

Vibha Rustagi President & CEO, itaas,

a Cognizant Company

This 25-year cable &

telecom industry vet

started her career as an

engineer and marketing

and sales professional at

Scientific-Atlanta, which

has since become part of

Cisco. While there, she had

a hand in the design and

launch of the first digital

networks and early interac-

tive applications where

she was awarded seven

patents. Now as one of the

three founders of itaas,

Rustagi’s strategic vision

has grown the company

from a 3-person startup

to an exceedingly attrac-

tive acquisition target for

Cognizant, which brought

itaas into its fold in 2014

and has more than 170,000

employees worldwide.

Magesh SrinivasanGVP, Commercial

Engineering & Operations

Time Warner Cable

Srinivasan designed the

Ethernet Passive Optical

Networking architecture that

makes TWC’s Ethernet

Everywhere service unique.

But his ability to calmly and

objectively assess engineer-

ing issues in order to fi nd

creative solutions that

benefi t customers and the

company makes him a


THE TECHIES

valued resource. He clearly

follows what he says is the

best business advice he’s

ever received: “Don’t be

afraid to think big!”

Myrna Soto SVP & Global Chief

Information Security Officer,

Comcast Cable

In the next few months, Soto

will focus on continued security

integration, expansion of enter-

prise security risk management

and providing value added

services to Comcast Business

class customers in the area of

security. She’s also a key player

in Comcast’s comprehensive

security analytics/advanced

threat intelligence program.

The highly recognized security

exec has extensive experi-

ence across sectors, including

fi nancial services, hospitality,

insurance/risk management,

gaming/entertainment and of

course cable.

Manjula TalrejaVP, Global Cloud Business

Development, Cisco

Talreja ran and launched the

Virtual Computing Environ-

ment (VCE) coalition in 2009,

a partnership between Cisco,

EMC and VMware to increase

business agility using

virtualization and the private

cloud. Under her leadership,

the VblockTM Infrastructure

Platform helped propel VCE to

$10 million in business in just

4 months. VCE is a $1 billion

business today. She sees

efforts to understand what

factors impact the customer

experience and improving

customer perception indica-

tors as one of the biggest

stories in cable this year.

Wayne ThompsonVP, Voice and Data

Management, Cablevision

As senior technical leader

for Cablevision, Thompson

is responsible for the

management and mainte-

nance of the latest

software and firmware on

customer premise equip-

ment. His efforts have

helped the company deploy

industry leading initiatives,

continuing the company’s

transformation to become

a premiere connectivity

company. Genuinely

passionate about mentor-

ing, Thompson gives career

guidance to over 20 youths

at his church. “Success,”

he says, “is the acknowl-

edgement that you have

the ability, skills, persis-

tence and perseverance to

change your life and your

world.”

Your Suddenlink family congratulates you on this well-deserved honor, recognizing your leadership.

Thank you for helping make our company a great place to work.

TERRY CORDOVASenior Vice President &

Chief Technology Officer

KEVIN STEPHENSPresident, Commercial &

Advertising Operations


DIVERSE EXCELLENCE

CABLE DISTRIBUTORS

CASE STUDIES/

CAMPAIGNS

VILLA PARAISO – COMCAST

Grupo Gallegos created the fi rst breve-novela. “Villa Paraiso,” a scripted story featuring Xfi nity products, branded Xfi nity for Spanish dominant and bicultural Latinos during its 3-minute advertising block after primetime local news.

SECOND PLACE

TODAY IS HISTORY – COMCAST

THIRD PLACE

WESTERN UNION DIRECT FROM

BOLLYWOOD – WESTERN UNION

ALL OTHER MEDIA

VILLA PARAISO – COMCAST

Similar to the campaign, the fi rst breve-novela “Villa Paraiso” aimed to brand Xfi nity for Spanish dominant and bicultural Latinos.

SECOND PLACE

BLACK FRIDAY – XFINITY

DIGITAL

SHAW CNY 2015 DIGITAL TACTICS –

SHAW COMMUNICATIONS INC.

Shaw sought to reach Chinese-Cana-dians during the Chinese New Year by integrating its Bots into the online fes-tival celebration. The result introduced favorite entertainment at a fair price.

SECOND PLACE

XFINITY - KEEPING UP WITH THE

JONESES – COMCAST

THIRD PLACE

XFINITY ONLINE VIDEO – COMCAST

DIRECT MAIL

NEXOS LATINOS WINTER 2015

–TIME WARNER CABLE AND

ECLIPSE MARKETING

To engage with Hispanic custom-

ers, TWC used bilingual high-quality magazines containing culturally relevant content to promote the TWC Triple Play bundle, services and available programming.

SECOND PLACE

PURAVIDA MAY 2015—COMCAST

FLORIDA REGION

THIRD PLACE

XFINITY DIRECT MAIL

ACQUISITION—COMCAST

EXPERIENTIAL

MARKETING

#SIGNMYTWEET/

#FIRMAMITWEET – COMCAST

Telemundo and Comcast hosted a bilingual Twitter event urging “Duenos del Paraiso” fans to tweet @XFINITYLatino using #Fir-maMiTweet or #SignMyTweet for a chance to have it printed and auto-graphed by Kate del Castillo.

SECOND PLACE

ESTADIO FIOS – VERIZON FIOS

PRINT

XFINITY - KEEPING UP WITH THE

JONESES—COMCAST

This campaign sought to acquire new sub-scribers and win back previous ones, build brand affi nity and improve brand consider-ation among African-Americans, 25-54, by demonstrating how Xfi nity keeps up with the latest technology and entertainment.

SECOND PLACE

MLK - WEAPONS OF A

MOVEMENT—COMCAST

THIRD PLACE

BELL CANADA - SOUTH ASIAN – BELL

RADIO

XFINITY- KEEPING UP WITH THE

JONESES —COMCAST

Like the similar print campaign, Comcast used radio to show African

Americans, 25-54, that Xfi nity can keep up with the latest trends.

SOCIAL MEDIA

#SIGNMYTWEET / #FIRMAMITWEET

—COMCAST

As with the experiential marketing

campaign, #SignMyTweet used Twitter

to encourage interaction among fans

of Telemundo’s “Duenos del Paraiso.”

SECOND PLACE

ALIMENTA TU RIVALIDA / FUEL

YOUR RIVALRY—COMCAST

TELEVISION

HERE COMES LILI ESTEFAN—

TIME WARNER CABLE

Time Warner Cable partnered with Univision to create ads featuring Lili Estefan highlighting the value of TWC’s products and services.

SECOND PLACE

NESTLE QUALITY STREET -

DIWALI—NESTLE CANADA

NETWORK INDUSTRY SUPPLIER

CASE STUDIES / CAMPAIGNS

WALMART HOLIDAY HUB REMIX FT.

CHEF ROBLE—ONE SOLUTION

To urge African Americans to eat healthier during the holidays, an online video series featuring Chef Roble and guests demonstrated cooking alternatives using Walmart’s ingredients.

Please join us in saluting the results of NAMIC’s annual Excellence in Multicultural Marketing Awards,

which recognize marketing efforts targeting one or more cultural segments that include African-

American, Asian, Hispanic and others. Entries are divided between distributors and program-

mers/industry suppliers. Cable industry giant Comcast dominated the operator side while HBO, BET

and Univision were among programmers that made waves this year. As always, judges consider each

entry on its own merits, so some categories have yielded multiple winners. Congrats to all!


DIVERSE EXCELLENCE

DR. PEPPER & ATREVETE A—NBCUNIVERSAL HISPANIC GROUPTelemundo targeted millennials who ever-seek challenges, changing traditional “Truth or Dare” to “Atrevete a…” (or, “Dare to…”) as a dare to try Dr. Pepper.

SECOND PLACE

WORLD CUP TVE—UNIVISION

DEPORTES

BUD LIGHT & BUSCANDO MI

RITMO—NBCUNIVERSAL HISPANIC

GROUP

THIRD PLACE

MARKETING CAMPAIGN—NBC

UNIVERSO

EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS

3—NBCUNIVERSAL TELEMUNDO

ALL OTHER MEDIA

IMD SIZZLE REEL—INTERNATIONAL

MEDIA DISTRIBUTIONTo provide an overview of IMD’s capa-bilities to Asian, European, and Middle Eastern communities, this Sizzle Reel can accommodate multiple edits and offers effi cient information.

SECOND PLACE

ALEX ESCLAMADO MEMORIAL

AWARD—GMA NETWORK INC

THIRD PLACE

HOME AWAY FROM HOME BATTAD

EPISODE—GMA NETWORK INC

DIGITAL

ALMOST CHRISTMAS CASH OUT

WATCH AND WIN—BET NETWORKSIn a Twitter only cross-platform cam-

paign, BET created promos, secondary events with keywords for contest entry, and branded gift card giveaways for 6 hours of movie programming.

SECOND PLACE

TV JAPAN + — NHK COSMO MEDIA

AMERICA INC/TV JAPAN

THIRD PLACE

VOD HIGHLIGHT EMAIL

MARKETING—INTERNATIONAL

MEDIA DISTRIBUTION

DIRECT MAIL

TV JAPAN AUDIO GREETING

CARDS—INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

DISTRIBUTIONLeveraging the signifi cance of the Cherry Blossom Festival to the Japanese Community, this direct mailing featured bird sounds and an offer spoken in Japanese upon opening the card.

SECOND PLACE

EROS NOW ON DEMAND & FILIPINO

ON DEMAND—INTERNATIONAL

MEDIA DISTRIBUTION

UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK

CLIENT MAILER—UNIVISION

DEPORTES

DIVERSITY AWARENESS

“EAST OF MAIN STREET”—HBOTo engage Asian American Pacifi c Islander communities, HBO developed and marketed the documentary series “East of Main Street,” which focused on Pacifi c Islanders.

SECOND PLACE

I IDENTIFY, INDEPENDENT LENS—ITVS

THIRD PLACE

HARLEM RED CARPET PARTY AT

CECIL’S—HBO

EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

HARLEM RED CARPET PARTY AT

CECIL’S—HBOUsing PR, experiential activations and social-amplifi cation, HBO built excite-ment and awareness for the fi nal season of “Boardwalk Empire”among African American and English-speaking Latino audiences.

SECOND PLACE

DRUMLINE: A NEW BEAT

EXPERIENTIAL MKTG—VH1

THIRD PLACE

EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS 3- LA

EXPERIENCIA—TELEMUNDO

NETWORK

GRASSROOTS

DRUMLINE: A NEW BEAT -

#PASSTHEBATON—VH1To garner excitement for VH1’s original movie, ads for the premiere focused on historically black colleges and universi-ties, and included digital billboards in NYC and bus shelter ads. A fundraiser for the United Negro College Fund used fan submissions as a halftime show during the premiere.

SECOND PLACE

BESSIE 81 THEATER TOUR—HBO

THIRD PLACE

“EAST OF MAIN STREET”—HBO

INVIERNO/WINTER 2015

®

Cortesía de Time Warner Cable

MEJOR QUE NUNCA

Disfruta aún más este año con Time Warner Cable. Gracias por ser nuestro cliente fiel.Enjoy better this year with Time Warner Cable. Thank you for being our loyal customer.

LOPEZJENNIFER

BETTER THAN EVER

TV + INTERNET + TELÉFONO El Triple Play de Time Warner Cable ¡Te va a encantar!5 canales de EPIX®, 100 Mbps de Internet y llamadas ilimitadas a México GRATIS.Time Warner Cable Triple Play— You’re Going to Love it!5 EPIX®channels, 100 Mbps Internet and FREE unlimited calling to Mexico.

September 2015 Cablefax: The Magazine

DIVERSE EXCELLENCE

OUT OF HOME

CENTRIC MARTHA’S VINEYARD

TAKEOVER—BET NETWORKS

In 2014 Centric repositioned itself as the only multi-platform brand to celebrate African American women. Using a truck with billboard-like branding, refresh-ments, items and activities, marketing targeted black women, 25-54, during a peak travel time at Martha’s Vineyard.

SECOND PLACE

BIG FREEDIA QUEEN OF BOUNCE

S3—FUSE

THIRD PLACE

ATLANTA EXES - BUS SHELTER—VH1

PREMIUM

NELLYVILLE CUDDLE NELLY BODY

PILLOW –BET NETWORKS-360

MARKETING

BET created full length Nelly body pillows to serve as prizes during a contest. Using social media platforms, BET was able to engage with consumers, aged 18-49, and spark conversation about the show.

SECOND PLACE

GMA PINOY TV LOUDBASSTARD

BAMBOO SPEAKER—GMA NETWORK INC

THIRD PLACE

IMD 2015 CALENDAR & DIGITAL

APP—INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

DISTRIBUTION

PRINT

MORE TO LOVE PRINT AD FOR

TELUS—GMA NETWORK INC.

To excite existing and potential Filipino customers in Canada about GMA Life TV subscriptions, GMA placed print ads in major publications across Western Canada.

SECOND PLACE

YANDEL “LEGACY: DE LIDER A

LEYENDA” TOUR—HBO

DRUMLINE: A NEW BEAT - PRINT—VH1

RADIO

BET AWARDS 14 RADIO BROADCAST

CENTER—BET NETWORKS

BET Networks generated more than 30 million impressions by hosting a live broadcast of top African American sta-tions and urging social media interaction.

SECOND PLACE

SUAVE SAYS - RADIO—VH1

SOCIAL MEDIA

PREMIOS BILLBOARD 2015—

NBCUNIVERSAL HISPANIC GROUP

Using social media livestreams and ex-clusive digital content, Telemundo gave fans access to their favorite artists and talent through a full 360 experience.

SECOND PLACE

DRUMLINE: A NEW BEAT - SOCIAL

MEDIA—VH1

THIRD PLACE

ILUSTRADO WORLD PREMIERE TWEET

UP PROMO—GMA NETWORK INC

TELEVISION

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FOR A

NETWORK—NBC UNIVERSO

During NBC Universo’s re-launch, it aired the exclusive Spanish telecast of Super Bowl XLIX. It was the number one most watched cable network that day among Hispanic adults.

SECOND PLACE

THROUGH A LENS DARKLY,

INDEPENDENT LENS—ITVS

THIRD PLACE

HBO LATINO “FALL IMAGE”—HBO

OTHER

CASE STUDIES / CAMPAIGNS

MCCORMICK ONLINE COOK OFF—

MCCORMICK CANADA

This campaign targeted second-gener-ation Filipino-Canadians and tradi-tionalists by suggesting McCormick Filipino recipe mixes and encouraging Facebook use with contests and incen-tive prizes.

SECOND PLACE

TRESEMME HISPANIC PR –TRESEMME

DIGITAL

JOHNSON & JOHNSON - AVEENO

–JOHNSON & JOHNSON INC.

CANADA

Johnson &Johnson leveraged prominent Chinese bloggers, multi-tab content, and social media, to educate the Chinese community about Aveeno products.

EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

MCCORMICK ONLINE COOK OFF

—MCCORMICK CANADA

Like its campaign, McCormick targeted a young audience and second-generation Filipino-Canadians by suggesting the use of new products in Filipino fusion cuisine.

SECOND PLACE

SONY CNY –SONY CANADA

THIRD PLACE

JOHNSON & JOHNSON— JOHNSON &

JOHNSON INC. CANADA

OUT OF HOME

NESTLE QUALITY STREET—NESTLE

CANADA

Quality Street was promoted as a choice gift during the festival of Diwali for Indo-Canadians while targeting South Asians in high-density South Asian neighborhoods with out-of-home bill-board media.

PRINT

KIT KAT CNY—

NESTLE CANADA

In honor of the Chinese New Year, Kit Kat created print ads to promote the product in a way relevant to cultural celebrations.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CAROL’S DAUGHTER—

CAROL’S DAUGHTER

After being sold to L’Oreal, Carol’s Daughter refreshed the brand’s social conversation with over 4.3 million social media impressions from #URAppreciated hashtags, 40 media placements in outlets, and social engagement from celebrities.

cablefaxmag.com46

INDEX

cablefaxmag.com 47

Ahn, Henry ...................................7

Allen, Byron .................................12

Arias, Maria .................................16

Armstrong, Michael .....................18

Asencio, Elizabeth .......................20

Bargueiras, Ivan ..........................20

Cajigas, Veronica ........................28

Carr, Louis ..................................13

Chadda, Sunil .............................25

Chu, Cynthia ................................14

Chun, Jennifer .............................18

Ciurana, Alberto ..........................12

Clarke, Sara .................................24

Cohan, Sean ...............................13

Coleman Smith, Salaam ..............18

Conde, Cesar ...............................6

Cordero, Vincent .........................12

Cueva, Maitee .............................24

Durant, Rosalyn ...........................28

Espinosa, David ...........................24

Espinoza, Stephen .......................21

Ferro, Rita ....................................12

Fore, Henry “Hank”......................16

Franklin, Tamara ..........................21

Free, Vicky ...................................16

Freeman, Brenda ........................19

Garcia, Lino ................................12

Garner, Mark ..............................19

Gaston, Doug ..............................10

Gay, Richard ...............................14

Giraldo, John ...............................26

Gutierrez, Ray .............................18

Harris, Kimberley .........................10

Hernández, Jacqueline ..............10

Hill, Stephen ................................14

Holmes, Keith ..............................24

Hong, Matthew ............................20

Hsia, Lisa .....................................22

Hsiung, Susette ..........................25

Hudson, Cynthia ..........................25

Jain, Dinni .....................................6

Jennings, Rich .............................27

Jin Davis, Susan ..........................24

Johnson, Marva ...........................22

Kang, Mark ..................................27

Kim, Michelle...............................18

Kotay, Sree ..................................14

Lee, Debra ....................................6

Lee, Howard ................................14

Lee, Isaac ...................................18

Lei, Hestia ...................................27

Liggins, Alfred C. ..........................8

Lightcap, Carolina .......................22

Lillie, Charisse .............................15

Lopez, Hernan ............................10

Lopez, Judi ................................28

Lopez, Rodrigo ............................22

Lui, Alan .....................................27

Madati, Kay .................................19

Martinez, Enrique .......................19

Martinez, Maria ...........................19

Martinez, Ralph ...........................16

Mashariki, Zola ............................15

Mendiola, Rubén .........................19

Mills, Scott ..................................12

Myers, J.D. .................................26

Osuri, Sameel ..............................28

Pan, Linda ...................................25

Paulus, Stephen (Steve) ..............28

Porter, David ................................20

Powell, Michael ............................8

Regis, Greg ..................................27

Rice, Michelle ..............................23

Richardson, Paul..........................26

Roberts, Janice ...........................28

Robinson, Craig ...........................22

Rodriguez, Jessica ......................21

Rodriguez, Juan Carlos ...............13

Roggero, Mike ............................24

Rone, David .................................10

Saksena, Asheesh ......................10

Sanchez Dooner, Marlene ..........14

Silberwasser, Luis ........................7

Simmelkjaer, Rob ........................23

Simmons, Tina.............................26

Simons, Eglon ............................27

Smalls, Marva .............................16

Smith, Michael ............................20

Stephens, Kevin...........................23

Strong, Michelle ..........................26

Tang, Holly ...................................22

Teran, Claudia ............................16

Thornton, Michele .......................25

Tuzon, Rita ....................................7

Vissering, Janet Han ...................20

Walker, Darrell .............................15

White, Steve .................................8

Williams-Fauntroy, Lisa ...............26

Winfrey, Oprah ..............................8

Yoo, Julie .....................................25

Arroyo, David ...............................30

August, Tara ................................30

Baudin, Alix .................................30

Benson, Makesha ........................30

Biava, Paul ..................................30

Brookins, Jordan Charlie .............30

Brown, Cindy ...............................30

Bryant, Brie .................................30

Byrd, Adrienne .............................31

Claytor, Eric .................................31

Coar, Sean ...................................31

Cooper, Michael ...........................31

Cornileus, Tonya ..........................31

Davis, Wayne ...............................31

DeLuca, Maria Laino....................31

Diaz, Monica................................31

Dizon, Oliver ................................32

Dominguez, Marty .......................32

Fang, Jessica ..............................32

Farrell, Leslie ...............................32

Fujimoto, Gregg ...........................32

Garcia, Tonie ................................32

Garcia, Javier ..............................32

Goldsmith, Glenn .........................32

Griffi n, Lisa Ray ...........................32

Guthman, Maureen ......................33

Harleston, David ..........................33

Hawkins, Eric ..............................33

Hegar, Darrel ...............................33

Henderson, Zenita .......................33

Holliday-Mack, Dawn ..................33

Hsu, John ....................................33

Johnson, Quincy ..........................34

Jones, James C. .........................34

Kennedy, Teri ...............................34

King, Rob .....................................34

Kollappallil, Patricia .....................34

Lee, Ebony ..................................34

Lewis, Kim...................................34

Lewis-Long, Carla .......................34

Lynem, Lori .................................35

Maldonado, Tony .........................35

Martinez, Rodolfo ........................35

Mathew, Dennis ..........................35

Mattocks, Naketha ......................35

Mays, Patricia ..............................35

McCray, Brigitte ...........................35

McIntosh, Charlon .......................35

Nazarov, Nodir .............................35

Nutsugah, Philip ..........................35

O’Sullivan, Amalia ........................35

Parimi, Satyanarayana.................35

Parker, Mike ................................36

Pearce, Leslie ..............................36

Perkins, Bret ................................36

Perry, Tina ..................................36

Ponnambalam, Indrajit .................36

Proctor, D’Angela .........................36

Ramirez, Lynette..........................36

Ravi, Sharmila .............................38

Reyna, Anna Tran .........................38

Robinson, Caralene .....................38

Robinson, Paul .............................38

Rolon Freddy ...............................38

Santos, Miguel ............................38

Sims, Savalle ...............................38

Smith, Jeffrey E. .........................38

Southworth, Madhu Goel .............39

Tabares, Marcela .........................39

Tuckett, Lawrence .......................39

Valentin, Raúl ..............................39

Vazirani, Kavita ............................39

Wang, Andrew .............................39

Washington, Crystal .....................39

Washington, Donna Rattley..........39

LEADERS

INFLUENTIALS

Ceasar, Sherita ...........................41

Cordova, Terry .............................41

Desai, Jatin ................................41

Figueroa, Edgar ...........................41

Gee, Barbara ...............................41

Ip, Andrew ...................................41

Isaacs, Bryant .............................41

Jo, Nancy ...................................41

Joy, Aljit ......................................42

Keys, Charlene ............................42

Phillips, Damon ...........................42

Pillai, Pragash ..............................42

Quigley, Michael ..........................42

Rustagi, Vibha ............................42

Soto, Myrna ................................43

Srinivasan, Magesh .....................42

Talreja, Manjula ...........................43

Thompson, Wayne .......................43

TECHIES

ced september 2015

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