Cablefax The Magazine - November 2011 - 39

leadership roles with the New York YWCA, which
focuses on empowering women and ending racism,
and God's Love We Deliver, a group committed
to preventing malnutrition in people living
with HIV/AIDS. Recently, she took up running. " I
have since completed two half marathons, two
5K runs and one 5-mile run, " she says.
Gemma Toner
SVP, Marketing and Business
Development, Cablevision
Systems Corp.
Cablevision's research, audience
measurement and interactive
ad marketing initiatives
LeAnn Talbot
SVP, Comcast Greater Chicago
Region, Comcast
While serving at the helm
of Comcast's Greater
Chicago Region over the
past two years, Talbot has
brought a 10% growth in revenue and 16%
increase in operating cash flow to the region.
Her leadership has earned the region several
industry awards for community involvement
and employee satisfaction. On what's challenging
about her job: " the safety, health and
satisfaction of the region's 7,000 employees:
My personal credo is that I work for my team.
At the end of the day, I care deeply about my
employees' health, safety and happiness. I
have a very large work family to care about. "
Claudia Teran
EVP, Business and Legal Affairs/
Deputy General Counsel,
Fox Networks
Teran oversees legal affairs
for nets such as FX and Fox
Soccer. With her guidance,
last year, the group finalized a long-term deal
to keep UEFA Champions League on Fox until
2015. Asking tough questions at the negotiating
table is key, she says, and " knowing that the
tough answers to hear are very often right, and
lead to the best planning. " When not wielding
brass knuckles, she knits. " It is a very meditative
process. It is amazing how many times I've been
perplexed by an issue, have picked up my knitting
project for a little while, and then after that
short break, a creative solution comes to mind. "
Pat Thompson
Founder, Pat Thompson Co.
Over the 33 years she's
spent in the cable business,
Thompson has closed deals
numbering in the hundreds.
In December 2010, she
left RBC to revitalize her own company, Pat
Thompson Co., where she reps smaller buyers
and sellers. " In the investment banking/brokerage
business, it is all about relationships, and I
have been so fortunate to still be able to have
business as well as personal friendships with
many of my clients, " she says. " I wouldn't trade
the years in the cable business for anything. "
CableFAX: The Magazine
are under Toner's watch. She played a key role
in the MSO's interactive ad product Optimum
Select and orchestrates marketing partnerships
and retention initiatives. A working mom,
she draws inspiration from her children, whose
" uncensored reactions and delight " remind her to
think differently. " As adults we tend to overcomplicate
things, where children call it like it is. The
trick is to apply this in all that we do. "
Amy Tykeson
President/CEO, Bend Broadband
Recently, Tykeson has made
significant investments in her
independent central Oregonbased
company, including
a new carbon neutral
co-location data center with managed services
for telecom providers and the deployment of
wireless spectrum to expand broadband offerings
to low density areas. Juggling the disparate
variables within the industry keeps her sharp
and on top of new developments. Her most
consistent obstacle? " Finding the most realistic
and profitable pathways through the kerfuffle. All
the models are morphing. As an industry we are
at an important juncture, exciting to be sure. "
Sandy Wax
President/GM, Sprout
With distribution to more than
50 million homes and VOD
usage surpassing 1 billion,
the tots-only network keeps
Wax continually on her toes.
Charged with leading Sprout's cross-platform
programming strategy, business initiatives,
marketing and digital efforts, Wax recently greenlighted
the network's first original longform series,
" Doodle and Noodle, " focused on cooking and
crafts, and " Pajanimals, " its latest original. She
successfully saw the melding of Sprout into the
NBCU family, but as a programmer says her
greatest challenge remains staying " in tune with
our audience, which is constantly reinventing
what they expect from the media. "
Susan Weinstein
Group VP, Content Acquisition,
Time Warner Cable
A power player at TWC,
Weinstein can make or
break a network's future.
She negotiates content
November 2011
deals with major networks and directs program
strategy, and handles VOD and retrans
deals as well. " What is most interesting and
exciting is how negotiating network deals has
become so complex over the past few years, "
she says. " We operate in a world where a
single programming deal has to contemplate
linear, VOD, TV Everywhere, OTT distribution
and social networking. Speaking of the latter,
asked her greatest accomplishment, Weinstein
says, " My twin daughters turned 15 this
year, and they still like to hang out with me. "
Amy Winter
GM, TLC
Newly promoted in February
2011, Winter keeps producing
hit series including " Say
Yes To The Dress, " " LA Ink, "
" Sister Wives " and the much
talked-about " Toddlers & Tiaras " while overseeing
programming, production, development, new
media and marketing. Winter is most proud of
TLC's brand strength. " Our distinct programming
has captured the hearts and minds of audiences
everywhere, and I'm thrilled to have been a part
of that journey, " she notes. She most enjoys
spending time with her kids, whom she's happy
to report, " I haven't ruined yet. "
Karen Wishart
EVP/Chief Legal Officer, TV One
Wishart plays a key role in
virtually every major initiative
at TV One. In addition to the
legal department, she oversees
human resources and
business affairs. Wishart serves as the chief staff
liaison with the net's Board of Managers, which
is helping to guide the network's new relationship
with NBCU. A true team player, Wishart's proudest
accomplishment is the fact that, with Radio
One's controlling interest, TV One is the largest
African-American-owned cable network. " I am
very proud of the work we have done since our
launch seven years ago, " she says.
Kathy Zachem
SVP, Regulatory & State
Legislative Affairs, Comcast
Zachem helped build
Comcast's team of legislative
and regulatory pros in
Washington and lead the
company's advocacy before the FCC. She was
instrumental in bringing the oft-discussed NBC/
Comcast deal to a close. Pre-Comcast, she was
founding partner at law firm Wilkinson Barker
Knauer, LLP. Among her myriad accolades is the
Distinguished Service Award from the Federal
Communications Bar Assn. ■
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Cablefax The Magazine - November 2011

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