Cablefax The Magazine - December 2010 - 16

11|
OFF THE CHART(ER)
Neil Smit
Title: President, Comcast Cable
Years in Cable: 5
Education: BS Duke University;
MA, Tufts University
I Watch TV Mostly: Live
12|
SNOOKI'S SWEETHEART
Judy McGrath
Title: Chairman/CEO, MTV Networks
Years in Cable: A whole lot.
Education: BA, Cedar Crest College
I Watch TV Mostly: TiVo/Recorded
Why Her? What a difference 12 months can
make sometimes. Last year at this time, we
said the powerful McGrath needed to kick things up a bit at her MTVN empire,
which appeared a stodgy. She did what we suggested and more. Just look at
the hit series: MTVN's controversial (read pop culture-piercing, hence ratings
grabbing) Jersey Shore (MTV), iCarly (Nickelodeon), Hot in Cleveland (TV Land)
and Tosh.O (Comedy Central). Each amassed record numbers. But no resting for
Judy. With great results come great expectations for '11.
Let George and Judy Do It: The horrendous disaster that hit Haiti struck a
note with McGrath. She dove into the relief effort with her standard enthusiasm,
working with George Clooney to organize the Hope for Haiti telethon that raised
$66mln and was viewed in 100 countries.
Year Ahead: MTVN is on a definite roll and McGrath's major challenge in '11
will revolve around sustaining that momentum. She's up to the task.
Why Him? Smit, who has long
been a cable power player as
CEO of Charter Communications,
ascended to an even
higher level this year when he
took the reigns at Comcast
Cable so Steve Burke could go
all Hollywood at NBCU. Burke
has an eye for talent. Smit has
spent the last few months assessing
operations and quietly
moving Comcast's key authentication
effort from beta to reality.
With basic subs under pressure,
his challenge will be subscriber
retention and boosting ARPU as
over-the-top options increase.
Well Done: Smit deftly navigated
Charter through perilous
waters that included a bad
economy, cranky lenders and a
billionaire chairman. All the more
reason Comcast grabbed him.
Year Ahead: With Burke
focused on integration of
NBCU, Smit will be able to key
on operations and improving
metrics across the board. But
basic subs are hard to keep
these days and competition is
fierce.
16
cablefaxmag.com
On Your iPad: Colbert Nation, the Word app, Jersey Shore City Guide, Scrabble,
Kindle/Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, The NY Times
The Most Creative Part of My Job: Collaborating with our brilliant programmers
and researchers on the constant reinvention of our brands.
Favorite Non-MTV Show: Mad Men
Best Business Advice: Know your audience
Favorite City for Business: Call me a homer, but it's gotta be NY
13|
AILES WELL
Roger Ailes
Title: Chairman/CEO, Fox News;
Chairman, Fox TV Stations Group
Education: BA, Ohio U
Why Him? It wasn't just Republicans who won
in the midterm elections. It was Fox News, which
beat out not only cable news rivals but also the
broadcast networks' primetime election specials.
But Ailes grabbed plenty of other headlines in '10. Seizing on the backlash over
Juan Williams' firing from NPR, Ailes expanded Williams' role with the network,
inking him to a multi-year deal. He's also been able to keep big talent, re-signing
Shepard Smith for 3 years. And Ailes has been working on building new kid Fox
Business, notably with the hiring of Lou Dobbs and poaching CNBC's Charlie
Gasparino.
Spin Secured: More good news for Ailes is that Fox's primetime powerhouses-
Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren-are all under contract with the
net through the next presidential election.
Year Ahead: With a new Congress, a deficit to dissect and the '12 presidential
race a little closer, ratings should continue to be strong.
December 2010
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Cablefax The Magazine - December 2010

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