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RURAL CHAMPION
JAMAL
52
HAUGHTON
EVP, General Counsel &
Corporate Secretary
Charter
Communications
Haughton and his
team have been
instrumental in
Charter's rural
expansion initiative
and related
application activity
for federal and
state programs.
His role not only
includes overseeing
the legal
groups managed
by his predecessor,
Rick Dykhouse, who retired last year, but he has
also assumed leadership of Charter's Legal-Programming,
Product and Regulatory team, which had been
reporting to David Ellen, who retired at the end of 2023.
Prior to Charter, Haughton was EVP, general counsel
and corporate secretary at Madison Square Garden
Entertainment Corp. and earlier in his career served
as SVP and associate general counsel and assistant
secretary at Cablevision Systems, where he assisted in
the company's sale to Altice USA.
Q&A
WAS CHARTER'S DISNEY DEAL PRECEDENT
SETTING? Yes, this hybrid distribution model provides
customers greater value by delivering access to both
linear and DTC services. Not having to pay twice for the
same content is a pretty good precedent to set.
WHAT EMERGING INDUSTRY TREND ARE YOU
MOST EXCITED BY? Rural broadband expansion.
Private investment and funding from federal and
state broadband programs are helping to bring
connectivity to previously unserved communities
across the country. Charter has committed to connect
approximately 1.75 million rural homes and businesses.
It's hard to quantify the profound impact the availability
of reliable, gigabit broadband will have on these yet to
be connected families and businesses.
IF YOU WERE A SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER,
WHAT PRODUCT WOULD YOU PEDDLE? Xumo-it's
streaming simplified. ●
MASTER OF THE
MOVING PIECES
KEVIN BEGGS
Chair & Chief Creative Officer
Lionsgate Television Group
52
Lionsgate wrapped its acquisition of content platform
eOne in December, and Beggs played a key
role in the buy that added more than 6,500 film and
TV titles to Lionsgate's library. He expertly navigated
last year's Hollywood strikes, and his team's planning
allowed for production to begin on NBC's " Extended
Family " less than a week after the SAG-AFTRA strike
ended. He also adjusted content pipelines to ensure
audiences had plenty to watch, particularly shows in
their third or fourth seasons.
Q&A
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THE HOLLYWOOD
STRIKES? Globalization and the unrestrained
movement of capital are changing our world in
profound ways. The secular changes that previously
impacted industries including automotive, music,
manufacturing and more have now found their way
into film and television. There is a path forward and
hopefully, each company in the sector can align its
interests in order to get through this first phase of the
ongoing transformation of media.
MY PREDICTION FOR THE $42 BILLION BEAD
PROGRAM: I'm supportive of this program's goal to
bring high-speed internet to more people across the
country, specifically providing greater opportunity for
underserved communities.
DO YOU PERSONALLY STILL HAVE A TRADITIONAL
CABLE VIDEO PACKAGE? Yes. DirecTV. Hard to
break old habits!
FAVORITE WAY TO DE-STRESS? Golf ●
Cablefax100.com
April 2024
59
http://www.Cablefax100.com
cfx_april-2024

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