Cablefax The Magazine - May 2016 - 9

THE TOP10
3. POWERS THAT BE
Neil Smit
Title: President & CEO, Comcast Cable;
Senior EVP, Comcast Corp.
Education: Duke University; Master's, Tufts
University's Fletcher School
Stephen Burke
Title: CEO, NBCUniversal; EVP, Comcast Corp.
Education: Colgate University; MBA, Harvard
Business School
Michael J. Cavanagh
Title: Senior EVP & CFO, Comcast Corp.
Years in Cable: Less than 1 year
Education: B.A., Yale University and a J.D., University of Chicago
With Smit responsible for all business aspects of Comcast's cable operations,
the company continues to innovate with its X1, Cloud DVR and
in-home WiFi products. What's more, in 4Q 2015 it had its best video sub4.
DISNEY PRINCES
Ben Sherwood
Title: President, ABC/Disney Television Group; Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks
John Skipper
Title: President of ESPN, Co-Chair Disney Media Networks
Years in Cable: 19 years at ESPN
Education: BA, University of North Carolina; MA, Columbia University
Sherwood continues to take a hands-on approach overseeing Disney's TV operations, including
the ABC network, Freeform and Disney Channel. When ABC Entertainment group chief
Paul Lee abruptly resigned in February, he acted quickly to promote Channing Dungey to
fill the post. Sports fan Skipper focused on delivering live events across platforms in 2015,
sealing deals to keep ESPN DVR-proof. ESPN's eight nets produced 51,214 live and original
hours of programming in 2015, and ESPN was the No. 1 network in primetime across households
for the second consecutive year while ESPN Digital reached 94.4 million unique users.
John Skipper
What does the future look like for skinny bundles and flexible packaging? With the
inclusion of ESPN, bright.
Last show I watched not on my network(s): Men's basketball tournament (see education)
What was your first job? Secretary at Rolling Stone magazine
Favorite charity event you work with: the V Fund
What was the last costume that you wore and why? Other than a basketball uniform
and the occasional suit, I do not believe I have ever worn a costume.
Best way to spend a Saturday night: Watching the NBA on ESPN on ABC
My cable industry mentor and why: George Bodenheimer
I watch the majority of programming on this device: Television
My favorite newfound hobby: Listening to vinyl again
Favorite vacation spot: Paris
My typical breakfast is: Coffee
My Starbucks order: Breakfast, please. ■
Cablefax: The Magazine
May 2016
cablefaxmag.com
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scriber numbers in eight years. Burke maintains NBCU's news, sports and
entertainments networks, TV production operations, a TV stations group,
theme parks and a movie business. Look out for his oversight of the 2016
Olympics in Rio and soon DreamWorks. And rounding out the power trio is
business-minded Cavanagh, former J.P. Morgan Chase brass, who joined
Comcast in last May to replace former CFO Michael Angelakis. ■

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Cablefax The Magazine - May 2016

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