Cablefax The Magazine - November 2011 - 37

purview. No small feat given the company's
recent rebranding of its flagship brand under " The
Next Big Thing " moniker. With her leadership,
Starz and Encore subscriptions each have enjoyed
quarter-over-quarter growth during the past
year. A gracious leader, McGee is quick to laud
her co-workers. " I am most proud of the team
of talented individuals we have in my group, with
expertise across many disciplines. "
Stephanie McMahon
EVP, Creative, WWE
Industry veteran McMahon
is the creative mind behind
all WWE television and
PPV programming, talent
management and branding,
as well as booking and marketing live events.
She oversees the creation of scripted storylines,
and character development for all WWE content,
including the ever-popular " Monday Night Raw "
and " Friday Night Smackdown. " Though she
cites her three daughters as her greatest accomplishment,
McMahon says her top professional
accomplishment is yet to come-with the launch
of the WWE Network in 2012. " It won't feel like a
true accomplishment until the network is live and
successful, " she says.
Mary Meduski
EVP/CFO, Suddenlink
One of three top-ranking
Suddenlink executives, Meduski
helps set the strategic
direction for the company
and oversees accounting,
financial reporting, taxes, programming and
IT functions. Among Meduski's many recent
accomplishments? Helping the company raise
more than $1.8 billion from November 2009
through January 2011. Though Suddenlink
has been able to sustain growth, Meduski says
the weak economy remains a challenge. " As
an industry, we are challenged to find options
for affordable packages for customers of every
wallet size, " she says.
Christina Miller
SVP/GM, NBA Digital and
Turner Sports
Miller oversees top-tier sports
programming, including
day-to-day operations for
NBA TV and NBA.com, and
Turner Sports' league partnerships. The 2011
NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship
was the most-watched tournament since 2005,
thanks to Miller's programming strategy allowing
every game to air live across four networks. In
fact, she counts it as her greatest accomplishment.
The tournie was branded " with a unified
CableFAX: The Magazine
voice, for the first time, " she says. " In the first year
of a multiyear partnership between Turner Sports
and CBS, this presentation gave the college basketball
fan an experience that put their viewing
experience first across all possible platforms. "
Robyn Miller
SVP, Marketing, Tennis Channel
Marketing maven Miller
scored big points with her
creative plans around the
2010 U.S. Open, and she
routinely lends her expertise
and guidance to marketing executives in both
the cable and tennis industries. Miller takes great
pride in her marketing team, which is charged
with getting in front of their " elusive, affluent
audience with as many promotional initiatives [as
possible] given the limited resources we face as
an independent network. " Though she's all about
tennis at work, you're more likely to find Miller
in a yoga studio after hours. " It keeps me sane,
and it beats a martini, " she says.
Laura Nathanson
EVP, National Sales, ABC Family
Nathanson's oversight of ad
sales, now in their seventh
year of consecutive growth,
is impressive. She is most
passionate about cable's
original development programming. " Cable has
been the testing ground for originals-both
in scripted drama development-and reality
formats, " she says. One of ABC Family's biggest
challenges is keeping millennials on board. " In
this time-shifted, tech-savvy world it is increasingly
difficult to keep our advertisers connected
with consumers. "
Vikki Neil
SVP/GM, Online Brands, Scripps
Networks Interactive
Neil plans and executes
digital strategies for HGTV.
com, DIYnetwork.com
and FrontDoor.com, which
clinched the Inman Innovator Award after its
launch. Next up is oversight of HGTVremodels.com,
coming this fall. Neil is also a fierce
advocate for working moms, and strives
to inform Scripps management and HR on
promoting a proper work/life balance.
Susane Newell
VP, Programming, NCTC
As VP of programming for
NCTC, Newell negotiates
carriage agreements for the
group's 1,000 members
and 23 million subscribers.
November 2011
In fact, she's inked carriage and retrans deals
totaling more than $20 billion. Aside from
mentoring women and working with children's
organizations, Newell says she tries zealously
to pursue her " Life's To-Do Wish List. " Some
past wish-list excursions have included freefalling
at 10,600 feet, sky diving and hot air
ballooning. Next up is a trip to visit her niece,
a Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique.
Suzanne Norman
SVP, CMT
CMT's highest-ranking
female executive, Norman
juggles balancing long-range
business plans and shortterm
demands. Namely, she
oversees the network's daily operations as well
as identifying growth strategies and new revenue
streams. During the past year Norman oversaw
the reshaping of CMT's largest department,
postproduction operations, which accounts for
as much as 20% of the network's employee
base, simultaneously lowering internal costs and
reallocating those costs back into programming.
Thanks to her guidance, CMT has been able to
expand its original production in 2011, with its
largest-ever slate of programs in development.
Dr. Libby Haight
O'Connell
Chief Historian/SVP, Corporate
Outreach, AETN
As principal historical adviser
to History, O'Connell wields
considerable influence
over the net's programming. In addition, she
develops community-based and educational
initiatives such as " Take A Veteran to School
Day " with History. Recently she has steered the
ship toward Civil War preservation and education
with History's Give 150 campaign. At the
end of the day, there's one constant: " Every
night I'm home, rain or shine, I play fetch with
my dogs. They love to retrieve even in the dark.
And it's my quiet time to reflect on the day. "
Casey Patterson
EVP, Event Production, Talent
Development and Studio
Relations, MTV Networks
Entertainment Group
Patterson produces onbrand
event programming
for Spike TV and TV Land. Since 2003, she's
strengthened Spike's core demo, men 18-34,
with the net's " Video Game Awards, " the testosterone
celebration " Guy's Choice " and many
others. Beyond leading the nets' heavy roster
of award shows, Patterson wrangles celebrity
talent. Closest to her heart is her own Spike TV
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