Cablefax The Magazine - November 2011 - 14

Most Powerful Women in Cable 2011: The Top 50
Pet peeve: " Bureaucracy, which should be rooted out whenever
it inevitably rears its ugly head. "
22. Sue Naegle
President, HBO Entertainment
Since becoming president of HBO
Entertainment in 2008, Naegle has
definitely put her stamp on the cable
network. Charged with overseeing
HBO's series programming and
specials, she has overseen nine
pilots, including " Hung, " " Bored To Death, " " How To Make It
in America, " " Boardwalk Empire, " " Treme " and " True Blood. "
Previously, she worked up from the mailroom at United Talent
Agency, eventually becoming a partner and co-head of its
television department, where she represented and developed
relationships with notable writers/producers Jenny Bicks,
Jhoni Marchinko, Charlie Kaufman and Alan Ball. For her efforts,
Newsweek named her one of its top 10 " Most Important
People " in 2010.
Women in cable: " I have a lot of respect for the women who are
making noise and doing great work in cable. Sheila Nevins,
Lauren Zalaznick and Bonnie Hammer are inspirations. "
Challenges: " In order to help produce programming that influences
culture, you need to be experiencing what's happening
in literature, on the Internet, in different ethnic and socioeconomic
brackets and all parts of the country and world. It's
a fun challenge to keep up with it all. "
Favorite destination: " When we need to relax, my family loves
to go to Ojai and ride bikes, read and cook. I swear there's
Valium in the air there. "
23. Michele Ganeless
President, Comedy Central
This is no laughing matter. As president
of MTV Networks' marquis brand
Comedy Central, Ganeless is charged
with the lofty tasks of leading, strategizing
and managing one of the most
recognizable industry brands. With her
guidance, this year Comedy Central rolled out a dramatic new
look and voice for its cable TV and digital content platforms.
Ganeless also created Comedy Central Summer School, enabling
minority students to develop comedy writing skills and
gain experience at a cable network, and spearheaded MTV
Networks' Posse Foundation partnership, providing college
tuition for public high school students demonstrating academic
and leadership potential.
Passion: " I think the amount of great original programming being
produced on cable today is outstanding. Great originals still
have the power to transform a network, AMC being the most
recent example. "
Challenge: " Finding the next hit. Without hit originals, nothing
else matters. "
Favorite program not on your network: " Top Chef "
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24. Wonya Lucas
President/CEO, TV One
When Lucas stepped into Johnathan
Rodgers' shoes in August 2011, she
brought with her multiple industry kudos,
including Black Enterprise magazine's
2010 designation as one of the " 75 Most
Powerful Women in Business. " Previously,
Lucas was EVP/COO for Discovery and Science channels.
Alfred Liggins, Radio One president and CEO, offers that Lewis'
" expertise in marketing some of the best brands in television will
be a tremendous plus as we continue to define and strengthen TV
One's brand in a constantly evolving media marketplace. "
Challenge: " As a network dedicated to providing quality programming
for African Americans, we have a duty to fully represent the
diversity of African American lives and experiences. Right now,
there is a very narrow slice depicted on cable television. "
Career accomplishments: " I am most proud of working with amazing
people who have gone on to accomplish great things in their
careers. A true legacy is not necessarily in the things you've accomplished,
but in the people you've touched and influenced. "
Favorite food: " I am truly a Southern girl at heart. My favorite
food is my mom's sweet potato soufflé. When she cooks it, I
know I'm truly at home. "
25. Christine Driessen
CFO/EVP, ESPN
Driessen is not only responsible for
overseeing the Disney subsidiary's financial
operations, but advises strategic
planning for acquisitions, new business
ventures and programming initiatives.
Her 26 years with ESPN include forging
its broadband Internet strategy and programming rights agreements
with NFL, NASCAR, MLB and The Big Ten; along with
the launches of ESPN2, ESPNEWS and ESPN: The Magazine
and acquisition of ESPN Classic. In addition to countless board
appointments, Driessen has been heralded among " The 20
Most Influential Women in Sports Business " by Sports Business
Journal.
26. Denise Denson
EVP, Content Distribution and Marketing,
MTV Networks
Denson oversees multiplatform distribution
for a mind-blowing profusion of the
company's acronyms: MTV, MTV2, VH1,
VH1 Classic, CMT, Logo, Nickelodeon,
Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Comedy
Central, Spike, TV Land, BET, Centric, Tr3s, EPIX-28 in all. In the
role, she supervises distribution deals for all brands, while expanding
the company's channel portfolio and growing its reach across
such emerging platforms as VOD and broadband. In 2010, she
inked distribution agreements with Comcast and Cox.
Career accomplishment: " I'm most proud of being a double-threat:
November 2011
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