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The Filcro Media Staffing list of The Top Media Executives
Chris Albrecht
President/CEO, Starz
Chairman/CEO, HBO
President, IMG Media & Entertainment
Albrecht was Chief Executive Officer and President of Starz. He was responsible for overseeing Starz Networks, Starz Distribution, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Starz Worldwide Distribution, Starz Digital Media and Starz Animation.[2] As of January 2013, Starz became an independent publicly traded company on the NASDAQ.
Albrecht is the former Chairman and CEO of HBO. He spent 22 years at HBO and was credited for ushering in the Golden Age of television with hit series such as The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Deadwood, Six Feet Under, Entourage, Band of Brothers and The Wire.
Albrecht founded Foresee Entertainment, an independent content creation, development and distribution company, in 2008.Albrecht was the president of IMG Global Media and IMG Entertainment, subsidiaries of the IMG production company, from September 2007 until August 2008. Albrecht was also a Special Limited Partner in Forstmann Little & Company.
Robert M. Bakish
President and Chief Executive Officer
ViacomCBS
Robert M. Bakish is President and Chief Executive Officer of ViacomCBS. Bakish oversees one of the world’s leading producers of media and entertainment content, driven by a global portfolio of powerful consumer brands, including CBS, Showtime, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central and Paramount Pictures. In this role, which he assumed in December 2019, Bakish is responsible for growing the company’s creative assets and capabilities to serve important and diverse audiences in more than 180 countries.
Prior to the recombination of Viacom and CBS, Bakish was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Viacom since December 2016. He led the revitalization and evolution of Viacom’s core businesses, returning the company to growth, and extending its leadership across multiplatform entertainment content, next-generation distribution and advertising. Through a strategy to deepen and expand Viacom’s presence in digital and live experiences, Bakish also stewarded the key acquisitions of free streaming television service Pluto TV; Gen-Z focused brand Awesomeness; influencer marketing firm WHOSAY; and VidCon, the world’s largest celebration of online video fans and creators.
Bakish previously headed the company’s international business as President and CEO of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) since 2007. Under his leadership, VIMN more than doubled revenues and broadened its portfolio with new, broadly distributed pay-TV networks, including Spike and the Paramount Channel, as well as major broadcast networks Channel 5 in the U.K., Telefe in Argentina and Colors in India. At the same time, he guided the company to launch Viacom Play Plex and other innovative mobile streaming offerings that introduced a new generation of young audiences to Viacom’s popular brands and IP.
Bakish joined Viacom in 1997, and held a series of senior corporate, sales and development positions at the company. He previously worked as a partner with Booz Allen & Hamilton in its Media and Entertainment practice.
Bakish has an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.S. in Operations Research from Columbia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. He serves on the boards of both schools and is also a Director on the Board of AVID Technologies
Bob is also an accomplished dancer and good sport! No one will forget his sincere love for the VIACOM brands, and the evening he danced with the EVP of BET Raymond Goulbourne at their upfront. People genuinely like Bob, he’s got precious pieces of Martin Davis and Sumner in him all wrapped in a genuinely caring CEO. Frank, Marty and Ralph would be proud. Good luck Bob
David Barrett
President/CEO, Hearst Television
Kingmaker. Influence peddler. Standard-bearer. That's how Barrett's colleagues describe the Hearst Television executive. As the political season heats up, citizens owe a thank-you to Barrett for setting the standard in local election coverage. In 2006, he instituted a 10-minute daily political-coverage pledge groupwide, double the industry standard, in the month leading up to Election Day. Exceeding the standard is typical for Barrett and, by extension, the 29 Hearst stations. The former chairman of the ABC affiliates' board of governors, Barrett serves on the board for the National Association of Broadcasters, MSTV (Maximum Service Television) and the Broadcasters Foundation, among others, making him one of the most influential and respected voices in policy matters.
Jeff Bewkes
Chairman/CEO, Time Warner
Since taking over in 2008, the three-decade Time Warner veteran has moved quickly to make changes, such as spinning off the cable operations side and AOL, earning him a reputation for leadership and decisiveness. Bewkes only seems to look forward, as one of the chief-and most vocal-proponents of TV Everywhere, putting content on whatever screen the consumer wants. And along the way, he has not been afraid to speak his mind-a rare, confident and welcome trait these days in a CEO.
In October 2016, it was announced that AT&T would acquire Time Warner in a deal worth $84.5 billion and In July 2017, Bewkes announced he would leave Time Warner on completion of that merger. Jeff did a great job and leaves a noted global brand that is still evolving as a leading direct to consumer entertainment powerhouse.
Matt Blank
Chairman/CEO, Showtime Networks
Like jumping from the Yankees to the Red Sox, Blank left HBO for rival Showtime in 1988 and never looked back.
Matt has made a significant and indelible mark on the entertainment industry in a career spanning over four decades. He currently serves as a Director of Cumulus media and is involved in several Broadway and television projects.
From January 1st, 2018 through December 31st, 2018 Blank served an Advisor to Showtime Networks where he had been since 1988. He assumed the position of President and Chief Operating Officer in 1991 and then Chairman and CEO in 1995.
He served as Chairman of the company in 2016 and 2017. Prior to 1991, he served as Executive Vice President, Marketing, where he oversaw all of the networks’ consumer marketing, creative services and public relations functions. Before joining Showtime Networks, Blank worked for Home Box Office Inc. for 12 years, departing as Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing. Prior to HBO, Blank held marketing positions at American Express and Philip Morris.
During his tenure, Blank helped transform SHOWTIME into a world class entertainment property.
George Bodenheimer
President, ESPN and ABC Sports;
Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks
Not bad for a guy who started in the ESPN mailroom 30 years ago. A true American success story.
George Bodenheimer is an ESPN and cable industry pioneer and, as the company’s longest-tenured President (13 years, 1998-Dec. 31, 2011), he led an unprecedented period of global growth. He oversaw all multimedia sports assets of The Walt Disney Company from March 3, 2003 – December 31, 2011 and was co-chairman, Disney Media Networks from April 20, 2004 – December 31, 2011. In January 2012, he assumed the position of Executive Chairman, ESPN, Inc. In that capacity, he provided strategic direction for ESPN’s global business until he chose to leave the company May 31, 2014.
From December 18, 2017, into March 2018, Bodenheimer returned to the company as Acting Chair to provide interim leadership as ESPN identified Jimmy Pitaro as the successor to John Skipper.
In 2015 Bodenheimer published a business leadership memoir, Every Town Is a Sports Town: Business Leadership at ESPN, from the Mailroom to the Boardroom. He joined the faculty at Iona College in 2017 in the School of Business division of Sports, Entertainment and Media to co-teach a course titled “Leadership and Management in Sports, Entertainment, & Media.”
Bodenheimer’s path to leadership mirrors that of ESPN itself
Glenn Britt
Chairman/President/CEO, Time Warner Cable
Britt has run Time Warner Cable, the country's second-largest cable operator, since 1999, taking it through a corporate spinoff in 2009 as well as major technological changes and innumerable battles over retransmission consent. To his credit is TWC's impressive lineup of advanced video services, including video on demand, high-definition television and digital video recorders, as well as the triple play of video, voice and data offerings.
Outside of cable, Britt is one of five executives appointed by President Obama to a task force charged with strengthening America's global economic competitiveness by improving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
Glenn’s career encompassed the shift from televisions with rabbit ears to streaming video, died at the young age of 65.
When Glenn retired as chairman and chief executive, Time Warner Cable had 15 million individual or business subscribers to its video, phone or broadband services, including 11.4 million video subscribers.
Only weeks later, the company agreed to be sold to Comcast for $45 billion as part of deal that would create a communications powerhouse with about 30 million cable subscribers. Before that sale, Mr. Britt and his successor, Rob Marcus, had fought a proposed merger with Charter Communications.
Time Warner Cable’s revenues had grown to $22 billion from $6 billion in 2001, when Mr. Britt was named chief executive of the company, then a division of Time Warner.
On April 24, 2015, Comcast announced that it would withdraw its proposal to acquire TWC. Afterward, TWC would enter into an agreement to be acquired by Charter Communications.
Steven Burke
Executive VP, Comcast Corp.;
President/CEO, NBCUniversal
Burke began his career as an associate product manager in the breakfast food division at General Foods. In January 1986, Burke joined The Walt Disney Company. From 1992 to 1996, Burke served as President and COO of Euro Disney. In 1996, Burke was named executive vice president of ABC after the Walt Disney Company purchased the network. The following year, Burke was named President of ABC Broadcasting.
In 1998, Burke left Disney and became President of Comcast Cable. In 2004, he was named Chief Operating Officer of Comcast Cable, in addition to his title of President. In 2010, it was announced that Burke would become CEO of NBCUniversal after Comcast and General Electric completed a merger. When Comcast and General Electric finished merging the assets of NBCUniversal with Comcast's programming assets the following year, Burke resigned his position as COO of Comcast before becoming CEO of NBCUniversal.
In 2018, Burke led Comcast's acquisition of English pay-TV company, Sky, after dropping out of the bidding war with Disney to purchase 21st Century Fox. In January 2019, Burke announced plans for NBCUniversal to launch a streaming service, later named Peacock, in 2020 using Sky's existing OTT video platform.
As of 2009, Burke has served on the Board of Directors of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Burke's current contract as a CEO of NBCUniversal expires in August 2020.
Chase Carey
Deputy Chairman/President/COO, News Corp.
Carey received his bachelor's degree from Colgate University and an MBA from Harvard, where he was a member of the Harvard Business School Rugby Club.
Carey first came to work with Fox, a News Corporation holding, in 1988. Over the course of the following decade he served as COO of Fox, Inc., and CEO of Fox Broadcasting Company. During this time he helped launch both Fox Sports and Fox News. He also served as co-COO of News Corporation, along with Peter Chernin. He resigned as co-COO of News Corp on January 24, 2002.
During the time that Carey was working for News Corp, the company purchased a 34% controlling interest in Hughes Electronics, which at the time owned DirecTV, a satellite TV provider. Carey had already served on the DirecTV board of directors, and in 2003 he was appointed CEO.
In 2006, News Corporation sold its controlling interest in DirecTV to Liberty Media, in exchange for News Corp shares.
In June 2009, it was announced that Carey would be leaving DirecTV and returning to News Corp. He assumed the posts of President and COO that had been held by Chernin, as well as the post of Deputy Chairman.
In August 2011 Rupert Murdoch tipped Carey to be his successor as CEO of News Corporation. It was previously assumed that Murdoch's son James would succeed him. In 2013, Carey was announced as the COO of 21st Century Fox, the legal successor of News Corporation and the owner of most of its film and television properties, News Corporation's print media and Australian assets being spun off as News Corp. In 2015, Carey was reassigned as executive co-chairman, while James Murdoch became CEO. Carey resigned this position in July 2016 to become a consultant to Fox.
On 23 January 2017, Carey was installed as CEO and Executive chairman of Formula One Group after Liberty Media completed their acquisition of the Formula One Group.
Louis Carr
President Advertising Sales, BET Networks
Media Mogul, Author, Philanthropist and Rainmaker, Louis Carr has generated over 8 Billion dollars in revenue at BET Networks. He is the only African American to head up national sales for a major entertainment network. Simply put, Carr is a visionary and American success story.
Louis Carr is President of Media Sales for BET, the premiere media company serving African-Americans and those who consume Black culture. He is responsible for the strategic plans to generate revenue for BET, and BET.com, the largest portal for African-American content online. Mr. Carr's success record at BET has made him one of the most influential African-Americans in the media and marketing industry.
Mr. Carr has consistently persevered to achieve aggressive revenue goals in even the most trying of economic conditions. Driven by self fortitude and a true devotion to BET, Louis Carr is inspirational to those inside BET and the community BET serves.
Mr. Carr serves on the Board of Directors of The Advertising Council, the country's largest provider of public service announcements, the American Advertising Federation, the Cable Advertising Bureau and Boys Hope Girls Hope and he Chairs the Louis Carr Internship Foundation (LCIF). Carr is still considered a rising star who will continue to grow based on his noted abilities to lead strategically and monetize with unprecedented success.
Many think that Carr with his proven ability to drive revenue and knowledge of what consumers and advertisers want should be slated as a CEO for a TV Network or media conglomerate hoping to enjoy his unequaled track record of financial success
As a noted mentor he has helped to shape the lives of many successful media executives. The core team he built at BET are some of the most successful media sales professionals in Cable TV.
James Dolan
President/CEO &
Executive Chairman, Madison Square Garden
James Lawrence Dolan serves as executive chairman and CEO of The Madison Square Garden Company and executive chairman of MSG Networks.
As the companies' chairman, Dolan oversees all operations within the company and also supervises day-to-day operations of its professional sports teams, the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and New York Liberty, as well as their regional sports networks, which include MSG Network and MSG Plus. Dolan previously served as CEO of Cablevision until its sale in June 2016
Charlie Ergen
Founder/Chairman, Dish Network Corp.
Charles William Ergen is co-founder and chairman of Dish Network and EchoStar. He stepped down as CEO of Dish in May 2011 in favor of Joseph Clayton. Ergen resumed as CEO upon Clayton's March 2015 retirement and was CEO until December 2017, when he promoted president and COO Erik Carlson to CEO,but remains as chairman.
Reuters reported that the move was effected to remove the day-to-day responsibilities of running DISH and provide more time for Ergen to build out the company’s emerging wireless business.
Ergen owns 48 percent of Dish and 46 percent of Echostar shares. He holds 78 percent of Dish's and 72 percent of EchoStar's total voting power.
Ergen is an accomplished mountain climber who has scaled Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Aconcagua in Argentina and Mount Everest base camp in Nepal. He is a member of the Colorado Mountain Club and has climbed all of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks.
Pat Esser
President / CEO, Cox Communications
Pat Esser is president and chief executive officer of Cox Communications,
The company is known for its broadband leadership and pioneering efforts in commercial services; customer care; cable telephone and its ability to create outstanding workplaces. The company’s pioneering spirit continues today with industry-leading programmatic advertising offered via its Cox Media division; its 1 Gigabit offerings; security and automation services known as Cox Homelife as well as its premium video offering that includes predictive search, a voice remote and integrated Netflix experience.
Esser brings more than 30 years of experience in cable and telecommunications to his role as Cox’s top executive, a position he has held since 2006. He joined Cox in 1979 as director of programming in Hampton Roads, VA, and was part of the original management team that pioneered Cox’s advertising sales division now known as Cox Media.
Named corporate vice president of advertising sales in 1991, Esser was presented with the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau President’s Award just three years later. Esser became vice president of operations for Cox’s Western Division in 1999, and a year later was promoted to senior vice president of operations. In 2004, Esser was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Esser serves on the board of directors of C-SPAN, CableLabs and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. Additionally, he serves as an adviser to the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications. Esser also serves as chair of the Southeastern Trustees and on the national Board of Governors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Randy Falco
President/CEO, Univision Communications
Randel A. Falco was president and CEO of Univision Communications Inc. from June 2011 until retiring in June 2018.
Before joining Univision in January 2011 as Executive Vice President and COO, he served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of AOL from November 2006 to March 2009. Prior to his tenure at AOL, he spent 31 years at NBC, including serving as the network's president and COO.
Roger Goodell
Commissioner, National Football League
Roger Stokoe Goodell is a prominent Commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). On August 8, 2006, Goodell was chosen to succeed retiring commissioner Paul Tagliabue. He was chosen for the position over four finalists; he won a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the owners.
Driving one of the most profitable Sports Media Brands he is considered a skilled negotiator for the NFL’s media interests.
He officially began his tenure on September 1, 2006, just prior to the beginning of the 2006 NFL season. On December 6, 2017, the NFL announced that Goodell signed a new contract that would start in 2019. Commentators have described him as "the most powerful man in sports.
Goodell graduated from Bronxville High School where, as a three-sport star in football, basketball, and baseball, he captained all three teams as a senior and was named the school's athlete of the year. Proving once again that sports participation during formative years shapes lives for the better.
Irwin Gotlieb
Former Global CEO & Chairman, Group M
Irwin Gotlieb is Senior Advisor to WPP and former Global CEO and Chairman of GroupM, WPP’s media investment management company.
Irwin is one of the world’s leading authorities on the media business and a tireless champion for improving media’s accountability with standards and measures that expand insights on consumer audiences. Irwin’s commitment to driving brand growth for his advertising clients while also expanding the capabilities of WPP’s media agencies powered tremendous growth for GroupM and WPP during his executive tenure.
An innovator and pioneer, Irwin created the first U.S. spinout of standalone media agency (MediaVest in 1993). In 1999, he joined WPP as the first Chairman & Global CEO for Mindshare Worldwide, founding the global network and at the same time creating Mindshare North America from the consolidated media resources of JWT and Ogilvy. When WPP later acquired and merged CIA with Mediaedge (forming Mediaedge: CIA, later MEC), Irwin established GroupM to harness scale across WPP’s expanding roster of media agencies and specialists; he became GroupM’s first global CEO.
Irwin’s career began in 1970 at Norman Craig and Kummel. He later joined SSC&B, and by 1977, Irwin had joined Benton & Bowles, beginning a journey that culminated in his founding of MediaVest.
Irwin is the only media agency executive inducted to the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame (2017). He was also the first media agency executive to be inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame
Sir Lucian Grainge
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Universal Music Group
Grainge has spent his entire career in the music industry and has signed and worked with many worldwide stars, including ABBA, Jay Z, Elton John, Katy Perry, Queen, Rihanna, The Rolling Stones, Sam Smith, U2 and Amy Winehouse, among many others. Over the span of three decades, he has not only pioneered new approaches to the signing and development of the world’s most successful recording artists and songwriters but he has consistently championed the development of innovative business models and partnerships with a wide range of technology and media partners around the world. His leadership has transformed UMG into the most successful company in the history of the music industry and he is widely recognized as having laid the foundation for the industry’s return to growth in recent years.
Grainge joined Universal Music in 1986 to launch PolyGram Music Publishing UK. Within five years, he had led the fledgling division to become one of the top three publishing companies in the UK. Grainge joined UMG’s Polydor in 1993 as General Manager of A&R and Business Affairs, rising to Managing Director of the British record label in 1997. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Chairman, and then, in 2001, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Music UK. In 2005, he was named Chairman and Chief Executive of Universal Music Group International, gaining oversight of global operations outside the U.S. Grainge was appointed CEO of UMG in 2010 and promoted in 2011 to Chairman and CEO.
During his leadership, Grainge has dramatically improved the financial performance of UMG by significantly increasing the company’s revenues and profitability. In 2011, he led UMG’s successful acquisition of the recorded music assets of the legendary British music company EMI, revitalizing its iconic Capitol Records, and, in the process, further strengthening UMG’s position as the global leader in music. Under his leadership, the company set numerous creative records including being the first music company with nine of the top 10 songs on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart and the first music company to score all 10 of the top 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100.
Grainge has been recognized for his many achievements throughout the years. In 2020, Billboard named Grainge as the publication’s first-ever Executive of the Decade after previously appearing at No. 1 on Billboard’s “Power 100” in 2019, 2016, 2015 and 2013 as the most powerful executive in the music business, the only person to hold that distinction four times and in consecutive years. Variety presented Grainge with its 2016 Empowerment Award for overseeing a shift in the company’s leadership team with women occupying some of the highest executive positions.
Grainge, who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 with the Howie Richmond Hitmaker award. In 2019, PPTOW! presented Grainge with its Icon Award, which honors trailblazers in their industries who have impacted culture around the world, and The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity honored Grainge as its 2017 Media Person of the Year, the first music executive to be recognized since the award was created in 1999. Northeastern University presented Grainge in 2017 with an honorary doctorate in global commerce and Berklee College of Music in 2016 awarded Grainge with an honorary doctorate of music. In 2015, he received the Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope and in 2014, he was awarded the President’s Merit Award by The Recording Academy. In 2008, he was awarded the prestigious Music Industry Trusts’ Award.
A native of London, Sir Lucian was bestowed with a knighthood in 2016 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours list for accomplishments in the music industry and leadership through its challenging times, contributions to British business and inward investment, as well as his development of innovative business models, technology and media partnerships that have expanded UMG’s global presence. For his service to global creative industries, he was recognized in Britain’s New Years Honors and awarded Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2010 and in 2011 he was made an Officier des Arts et Lettres by the French Government. In 2011, he was named a Trustee of the American Friends of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Grainge serves on the boards of Lionsgate and Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
David Hill
Chairman and Chief Executive, Fox Sports Media Group
His title lies in the sports division, but those who know the inner workings of Fox know that David Hill tends to have his fingerprints everywhere at one time or another. He has always acted like a bit of a guided missile for Rupert Murdoch, having done everything from starting Fox's sports division to overseeing the broadcast network. A producer at heart, the bombastic Hill isn't afraid to roll the dice (remember the glowing hockey puck!), which has made Fox Sports' production a longtime trend-setter.
David Hill served as the president of Fox Sports from 1993-2000, and as a senior EVP of 21st Century Fox for twenty-four years. He left the Fox Group in June 2015 to open his own production company that focused on live TV events.
Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai
Chairman Sony Corporation
Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai 平井 一夫, is best known as the former chairman of Sony Corporation, serving from April 2018 to June 2019, as well as president and CEO from April 2012 to April 2018. He also served as a board member of Sony Computer Entertainment and chairman and co-CEO of Sony Entertainment.
Hirai was noted by Entertainment Weekly as one of the most powerful executives in the entertainment industry. He led the Sony Computer Entertainment division between 2007 and 2012, and then became president and CEO of Sony on April 1, 2012. Under his reign as CEO, Sony experienced a resurgence during the 2010s. On April 1, 2018, Hirai stepped down as president and CEO, becoming chairman of Sony Corporation. He fully retired from Sony on June 18, 2019, otherwise remaining as a senior adviser to the company.
Kazuo Hirai began his career with Sony Music Entertainment Japan in 1984, starting out in CBS/Sony Inc.'s now Sony Music Entertainment Japan marketing department. Afterwards, he became head of Sony's international business affairs department. He then moved to Sony Music Japan’s New York office, leading the marketing of Sony Music Japan artists in the U.S
Mike Hopkins
Amazon Video Entertainment Chief
Mike Hopkins was recently named Amazon Video Entertainment Chief as he exits Sony Pictures Television as Chairman oft the industry’s largest independent TV studio.
Hopkins will lead Amazon’s video entertainment operations, including Amazon Studios and Prime Video, effective Feb. 24, 2020
with over 20 years of industry experience at Fox, Hulu and Sony, He has an extensive track record as a global business leader in media, film and TV — negotiating landmark content and distribution agreements, running marketing operations, leading product/tech teams, and overseeing production of breakthrough television content.
Good luck Mike.
Bob Iger
Executive Chairman / CEO, Walt Disney. Co.
It's no wonder Iger started his career as a TV weatherman, because he has made a name for himself forecasting what's ahead in the media business.
Robert Allen Iger was Executive Chairman of The Walt Disney Company. He was CEO from 2005 to 2020. Before working for Disney, Iger served as the President of ABC Television from 1994 to 1995, and as President/COO of Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. from 1995 until Disney's acquisition of the company in 1996.
He was named President and COO of Disney in 2000, and later succeeded Michael Eisner as CEO in 2005, after a successful effort by Roy E. Disney to shake up the management of the company.
During Iger's tenure, Disney broadened the company's roster of intellectual properties and its presence in international markets; Iger oversaw the acquisitions of Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion, Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for $4 billion, Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4.06 billion, and 21st Century Fox in 2019 for $71.3 billion, as well as the expansion of the company's theme park resorts in East Asia, with the introduction of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Shanghai Disney Resort in 2005 and 2016, respectively.
Iger was a driving force behind the reinvigoration of Walt Disney Animation Studios and the branded-release strategy of its film studio's output. Under Iger, Disney has experienced increases in revenue across its various divisions, with the company's market capitalization value increasing from $48.4 billion to $257 billion over a period of thirteen years.
On February 25, 2020, Iger announced he would step down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company effective immediately, naming Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, as his successor, making him the 7th CEO in the company's history.
Iger will continue to serve as Executive Chairman and Chairman of Disney's Board of Directors until December 2021
Brian Lawlor
President of Local Media E.W. Scripps Co.;
Brian Lawlor, is president of local media for The E.W. Scripps Company. In addition to the company’s 60 television stations, he also has responsibility for the local digital operations, Scripps local programming initiatives and the five Katz multicast networks.
Since assuming his current role in 2009, Brian has overseen the rapid growth the company’s broadcasting assets from 10 TV stations in 2009 to its current portfolio, which makes Scripps one of the largest independent owners of TV stations in the country.
As a highly respected member of the television community, in 2012 Broadcasting and Cable magazine named him “Broadcaster of the Year” and one of the “80 Most Influential People in Television.” In 2019, Radio & Television Business Report named him one of Broadcast Television’s Best Leaders. He has been the driving force in the successful launch of Scripps’ national programming.
Brian is the immediate past chairman of the ABC Board of Governors and a former president and chairman of the NBC Affiliates Board. He also previously served as the television board chairman for the National Association of Broadcasters. Currently, he is a board member of the NAB and the Broadcasters Foundation of America.
Debra Lee
Former Chairman / CEO, BET Holdings
Debra L. Lee was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BET, the parent company for Black Entertainment Television from 2005 to May 28, 2018. Lee has sat on the board of directors for a number of companies/organizations, including the National Cable & Telecommunications Association the Ad Council, and the National Cable Television Association.
Debra Lee is named one of the "100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment" by The Hollywood Reporter due to her many achievements in her 30-plus year career at BET
Lee serves on board of directors of Marriott, and Revlon. Lee is also a director of Washington Gas Light Company, WGL Holdings and the Monsanto subsidiary Genuity. In May 2016, Lee was added to the board of directors of Twitter
John Malone
Chairman, Liberty Media; CEO, Discovery Holding Co.
Nicknamed the Cable Cowboy, John Malone is known for his penchant for media deals and complicated corporate structures.
From the 1970s to the 1990s, Malone built up cable TV firm TCI as right hand man to founder Bob Magness
Malone became the CEO of TCI in 1973 at 29 years old, then sold the firm to AT&T for more than $50 billion in 1999.
His Liberty Media, which owns the Atlanta Braves baseball team, closed a $4.4 billion acquisition of auto-racing league Formula 1 in January 2017.
In 2018, Malone retired from the boards of telecom giant Charter Communications and entertainment firm Lions Gate.
Barry Meyer
Chairman/CEO, Warner Bros. Entertainment
Meyer joined the Warner Bros. Entertainment in 1971 as Director, Business Affairs for Warner Bros. Television, following two and a half years in both the legal and business affairs departments of the ABC Television Network. In 1972, Meyer was named Vice President, Business Affairs, Warner Bros. Television. In 1978, he became Executive Vice President for the television division and in 1984, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Inc., taking charge of all of the Studio’s television operations.
In 1994, Meyer took on added responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer, which included oversight of the Company’s general operations (including studio facilities, legal and business affairs, general administration, human resources, labor relations, strategic planning, real estate development and government affairs), as well as all of the Studio’s television production and distribution operations (including Warner Bros. Television, Telepictures Productions, Warner Bros. Animation and the domestic and international television distribution divisions). Meyer was also an integral architect in the formation of The WB Television Network, which went on the air in January 1995 and played a similar role in the founding of The CW.
Barry M. Meyer became Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. on October 4, 1999 after having served as the Studio’s Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer since April 1994.
Under Meyer’s leadership, Warner Bros. consistently ranked as one of the strongest, most profitable and best-positioned studios in the industry. In 2009, Warner Bros. Pictures’ domestic division had its most successful year ever, and both the domestic and international division had their ninth consecutive billion dollar-plus years at the box office.
In March 2013, Meyer stepped down as CEO of Warner Bros. and was succeeded by Kevin Tsujihara.
Leslie Roy Moonves
Former Chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation
Leslie Moonves served as the Chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation from 2003 until September 2018.
He had held a series of executive positions at CBS from July 1995 to September 2018. Moonves has been on the board of directors at ZeniMax Media since 1999. Later, Moonves was co-president and co-chief operating officer (COO) of the original Viacom, Inc., the legal predecessor to CBS Corporation, from 2004 until the company split in December 2005. Moonves became Chairman of CBS in February 2016.
In September 2018, Moonves stepped down as Chairman of CBS
Steve Mosko
CEO Village Roadshow Entertainment Group
Chairman SONY Pictures Television
Prior to joining VREG, Mosko spent 24 years at Sony Pictures Entertainment, 16 of those running global television, where he rebuilt the business from obscurity into one of the world’s leading producers of content and distribution.
Steve Mosko has been Consultant of Sony Pictures Television, Inc. since June 2016.
Mr. Mosko served as the Chairman of Sony Pictures Television at Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. from October 5, 2015 to June 2016. Mr. Mosko served as the President of Sony Pictures Television, Inc. at Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. since 2001 until October 5, 2015.
Mr. Mosko served as Head of Television Division of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. since July 2008.
Mr. Mosko served as the President of Sony Pictures Television International. He has been running the television company since 2001. He served as an Executive Vice President of sales of Sony Pictures Entertainment and the President until 2000. He served as Vice President of the Western Region for Columbia TriStar Television Distribution of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., since 1992.
Mr. Mosko was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2005. He served as Chairman of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) since 2000 and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation (ATAS). Mr. Mosko serves as a Director of Game Show Network, LLC and Game Show Network. He has been a Director of The Advertising Council, Inc., since May 2009. He serves as a Member of the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles Board of Governors of Paley Museum and the National Board of Junior Achievement.
Rupert Murdoch
Executive Chairman News Corp. Co-Chair FOX Corp
Rupert Murdoch is Executive Chairman of News Corp and Co-Chairman of Fox Corporation, two of the most recognized and influential media companies in the world.
Mr. Murdoch has been Executive Chairman of News Corp since 2013, when News Corporation separated into two distinct, publicly traded companies, News Corp and 21st Century Fox. He was Executive Chairman of 21st Century Fox from 2015 until the closing of the merger of 21st Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company in March 2019.
In 1954, Mr. Murdoch took control of News Limited, an Australian-based public corporation whose only key asset at the time was a majority interest in the number-two daily newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia. Since News Corporation’s inception in 1979, Mr. Murdoch served as CEO and Chairman, and oversaw the expansion and development of the Company into an international media business.
In 1960, News Corporation acquired the Daily Mirror in Sydney and, in 1964, launched a national newspaper, The Australian. In 1969, the Company ventured into the United Kingdom and later purchased The Sun newspaper.
In the 1980s, News Corporation purchased the UK newspapers The Times and The Sunday Times, and HarperCollins Publishers, today one of the world’s largest and most digitally advanced book publishers. In 2007, the Company acquired Dow Jones & Company, including The Wall Street Journal.
News Corporation purchased Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation in 1985 and the studio subsequently produced many award-winning films, including the two top-grossing films of all time: Titanic and Avatar. The following year, the Company created the Fox Television Stations group, which was the foundation for the launch of FOX Broadcasting Company and FOX Sports.
FOX was the leading television network in the U.S. for a record eight consecutive years. In October 1996, News Corporation launched the FOX News Channel — the undisputed leader in 24-hour news service. The Company also successfully established some of the U.S. and the world’s most popular cable networks, including Fox Sports Network, FX and the National Geographic Channels.
In 2012, News Corporation further expanded its footprint in Australia through its acquisition of media investment company Consolidated Media Holdings. News Corp Australia is now a majority shareholder of Foxtel/FOX SPORTS Australia, the largest pay-TV provider in Australia, and owns and operates Sky News Australia, a 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service.
Also in Australia, News Corp owns the majority interest in digital real estate company REA Group, operator of the country’s leading property websites, and of iProperty Group, which owns a number of leading property portals in Asia. In 2014, News Corp completed acquisition of Move, Inc., operator of realtor.com®, a leading provider of online real estate services.
Abbe Raven
Chairman, A+E Networks
Abbe Raven is the Acting Chairman of A+E Networks. Raven previously retired from her role as Chairman on February 2, 2015.She was asked to return in March 2018 upon the departure of the CEO, Nancy Dubuc.
Raven is also the former President and CEO of A+E Networks.
Raven is one of the original founders of the HISTORY brand and is one of the longest running employees at A+E Networks. She began her career in 1982 as a production assistant and rose through the ranks to become the second CEO and first Chairman in A+E Networks' history
Sumner Redstone
Founder / Executive Chairman, Viacom
Sumner was the majority owner and chairman of the board of the National Amusements theater chain until his passing in 2020. Through National Amusements, Redstone and his family are majority voting shareholders of ViacomCBS (itself the parent company of CBS, MTV, TV Land, VidCon, Smithsonian Channel, CBS Television Studios, CBS Productions, Showtime Networks, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Big Ticket Television, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, ViacomCBS Networks International, Comedy Central, Paramount Pictures, Miramax, CBS Television Stations, Network 10 and TV distributor CBS Television Distribution).
Redstone was formerly the executive chairman of both CBS and Viacom. In February 2016, at age 92, Redstone resigned both chairmanships.
One of Redstone's most noted acquisitions was the purchase of Paramount Communications (previously Gulf+Western), parent of Paramount Pictures in 1994. He engaged in a bidding war with Barry Diller (former board member of Vivendi Universal and CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp) and John Malone (president of TCI/Liberty Media), and had to raise his bid three times. Some say that Redstone overpaid, but after he shed certain assets — the Madison Square Garden properties (which included the NBA's NY Knicks and the NHL's NY Rangers) to Charles Dolan's Cablevision and Simon & Schuster's educational publishing units to Pearson PLC — for almost $4 billion, Redstone turned Viacom's expenditure into a substantial profit.
Under Redstone's leadership, Paramount went on an almost ten-year streak of record performance, producing such films as Saving Private Ryan, Titanic (one of the highest-grossing films of all time and Best Picture Academy Award winner), Braveheart (Best Picture Academy Award),and Forrest Gump (also a Best Picture winner) and the creation of the hugely successful Mission: Impossible series of pictures.
Peter Rice
Chairman of Walt Disney Television
Co-chairman of Disney Media Networks
Former Chairman, Entertainment, Fox Networks Group
Peter Rice is chairman of Walt Disney Television and co-chair of Disney Media Networks. He oversees The Walt Disney Company’s entertainment and news television properties and radio
business. This includes ABC News, The ABC Television Network, ABC Studios, ABC Owned Television Stations, the Disney Channel networks, Freeform, FX Networks and FX Productions, Fox 21 Television Studios, National Geographic Partners and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
Rice also oversees The Walt Disney Company’s equity interest in A+E Networks. He reports to Robert A. Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company.
Prior to his current role, Rice served as president of 21st Century Fox, and chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group (FNG), where he was instrumental in driving the growth of FNG’s television business across linear and digital platforms. During his tenure, FNG’s revenue doubled as its portfolio was reorganized and aligned around four key brands reaching more than 2 billion subscribers worldwide.
At FNG, Rice oversaw long-term sports rights deals with the NFL, MLB, the UFC, FIFA, WWE and dozens of professional sports leagues and teams. He was a driving force in the formation of National Geographic Partners and the launch of FS1 and FS2. He was responsible for realigning its international channels business in Europe, Asia and Latin America, and integrating the company’s advertising divisions into a single, data-driven enterprise. He oversaw the launch of its Digital Consumer Group; its participation in Hulu, where he serves on the board; and the establishment of FoxNext Games.
Under Rice’s leadership, FNG was home to shows including “The
Simpsons,” “American Idol,” “Glee,” “The Americans,” “Genius,” “Modern Family,” “Homeland,” “This Is Us” and “Empire,” the World Series, the World Cup and the Super Bowl.
During his tenure, FNG earned more than 600 Primetime Emmy® nominations, 68 Golden Globe® nominations and more than 200 Sports Emmy nominations.
In 2010, Rice served for two years as chairman, Entertainment, for FNG. He also served as chairman, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company, helping to lead FOX to three seasons as the No. 1 network and extend its streak to eight seasons as the top-rated broadcaster.
Before transitioning to Fox’s television business, Rice served as president, Fox Searchlight Pictures. During his tenure, Fox Searchlight generated 51 Academy Award® and 42 Golden Globe Award nominations. The films released under his leadership include “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Juno,” “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Little
Miss Sunshine,” “The Last King of Scotland” and “Sideways.”
Prior to leading Fox Searchlight, Rice was executive vice president of Production for Twentieth Century Fox, where he worked with
director Baz Luhrmann in the development and production of Oscar® Best Picture nominee “Moulin Rouge” and “William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.” He also served as the supervising creative executive on “X-Men.”
Rice serves on the board of directors for Hulu, National Geographic Partners, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and Southern California Public Radio. He also sits on the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s Board of Governors
.
Rice began his career in the marketing department at Twentieth Century Fox in 1989 after graduating from the University of Nottingham.
Brian Roberts
Chairman, CEO, Comcast Corp.
Brian L. Roberts is Chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation. Under his leadership, Comcast has grown into a global Fortune 50 company uniquely positioned at the intersection of media and technology with three primary businesses, Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal and Sky.
Brian has worked at Comcast since graduating from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was named President of Comcast Corporation in 1990 when the company had $657 million in annual revenue. Today, Comcast Corporation has approximately 190,000 employees worldwide and $109 billion in annual revenue.
Brian has won numerous business and industry honors for his leadership. He was recognized by Barron’s as one of the “World’s Best CEOs,” named a “Businessperson of the Year” by Fortune magazine and named one of America’s top CEOs by Institutional Investor magazine for the 13th time. Brian is the recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Pennsylvania Society’s Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement Award. He also received the Legend and Leadership Award from the Yale School of Management’s Chief Executive Leadership Institute.
Josh Sapan
President/CEO, AMC Networks
Josh Sapan is responsible for the overall management of AMC Networks, the entertainment company known for its groundbreaking and celebrated original content.
The company consists of several leading entertainment brands including: national television networks AMC, BBC AMERICA, IFC, SundanceTV, and WE tv; film distribution label IFC Films; premium streaming video services Sundance Now, Shudder, Acorn TV, UMC and AMC Premiere; AMC Studios, its television production and worldwide content distribution division; Levity Entertainment Group, its comedy venues and production services business; and AMC Networks International, the company’s international programming business.
Named CEO in 1995, Sapan led the company’s successful spin-off from Cablevision Systems Corporation in June 2011, when AMC Networks began trading as a separate public company on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Lauded by Fast Company magazine as one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business,” Sapan’s record of delivering must-have content to passionate audiences, coupled with his championing of breakthrough distribution models, has transformed cable television and has changed the way people watch TV.
Perry Sook
Chairman/CEO, Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Perry A. Sook has over 39 years of professional experience in the television and radio broadcasting industries, covering all facets of the business, including ownership and M&A, management, sales, on-air talent, and news. He founded Nexstar in 1996 with one local television station in Scranton, PA, and began building the foundation of what became one of the world’s leading local marketing and content companies, leveraging localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers across its traditional media, digital and mobile media platforms. Based in Irving, TX, Nexstar trades on NASDAQ under the symbol NXST.
Following the recently completed $7.1 billion accretive acquisition of Tribune Media and the $4.6 billion accretive acquisition of Media General, Nexstar Media Group is now the largest local broadcast television operator in the United States, with 196 stations reaching 114 markets, or approximately 63% of all television households, and annual revenue in excess of $4.5 billion. As one of the nation’s leading providers of local news, entertainment, sports, lifestyle, and network programming, Nexstar produces and distributes over 259,000 hours of local content per year. In addition, Nexstar’s digital properties provide innovative digital marketing solutions and services to local and national media companies, advertisers, agencies, and brands.
Prior to Nexstar, Mr. Sook was one of the principals of Superior Communication Group, Inc., which was sold in 1995 to Sinclair Broadcast Group. Before Superior, Mr. Sook was President/CEO of Seaway Communication, Inc., owner of network affiliated stations in Bangor, ME and Wausau, WI. Before being recruited to run Seaway, he worked in the television industry as a General Sales Manager, acting General Manager and National Sales Manager. Mr. Sook previously spent five years with Cox Broadcasting, first in local sales in Pittsburgh, then at Telerep, Inc., as a National Account Executive. Early in his career, Mr. Sook was involved in local TV sales and radio sales. Mr. Sook also worked briefly as a television news anchor at the CBS affiliate in Clarksburg, WV.
Mr. Sook is a member of the Board of Directors of the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), the not-for-profit trade association of America’s local broadcast television industry. He formerly served as Chairman of the organization. He is Chairman of the CBS Affiliate Board, a Member of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the Broadcasters Foundation of America Board. He is on the Board of Directors of Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI) and is Chairman of The Ohio University Foundation.
Sir Howard Stringer
Chairman/President/CEO, Sony Corp.
Sir Howard Stringer left CBS in 1995 to set up TELE-TV, a media and technology company formed by US telecoms Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, Pacific Telesis, and Creative Artists Agency in February 1995. He left two years later to join Sony.
Stringer began work at Sony in May 1997 as president of its US operational unit (Sony Corporation of America). He was made a Sony group executive officer in May 1998.
Since June 2005, he served as Chairman of Sony, overseeing businesses such as Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Financial Holdings. On 1 April 2009, he became president of Sony Corporation and ousted Ryoji Chubachi in what was seen as prelude to broader corporate restructuring. Stringer also served as executive chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Corporation of America, and as president of Sony Broadband Entertainment Corporation since March 2000.
Stringer was promoted to the company's top position as the corporation overall was having trouble with losses and was facing increasing competition from rivals like Samsung, Sharp, Apple Inc. and Panasonic. With his experience primarily in the media industry, Stringer was responsible for the media business of Sony in the U.S. by overseeing the release of the Spider-Man film series, among others.[citation needed]
As CEO, Stringer's initial focus was on streamlining Sony's electronics business, such as through its Bravia TV joint venture with Samsung. Stringer was instrumental in arranging Sony's investment in Spotify, which earned Sony a profit of nearly $1 billion upon Sony's partial exit in 2018. Nonetheless, Sony's stock price fell by 60 percent from when Stringer assumed the role of group chairman until his resignation as CEO was announced in 2012, due in part to exchange rates and the effects of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
On 1 February 2012, Sony announced that Stringer would step down as president and CEO, effective 1 April to be replaced by Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president and chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment. Stringer relinquished his title of chairman of Sony and became chairman of the board of Sony in June ('Chairman of Sony' and 'Chairman of the Board of Directors' are separate positions at Sony). In June 2013, Stringer retired as chairman of the board of Sony.
Anne Sweeney
Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks;
President, Disney/ABC Television Group
Chairman CEO FX Networks
Prior to her work at Disney/ABC she was chairman and CEO of FX Networks, Inc., from 1993 to 1996. During her tenure, she presided over the launch of two basic cable networks, FX, an entertainment network and FXM: Movies from Fox, Hollywood’s first studio-based movie network.
Before joining Fox, Sweeney spent 12 years at Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite in various executive positions, most recently as senior vice president of Program Enterprises. She oversaw Nickelodeon’s international expansion, including launching the channel in the United Kingdom, resulting in a joint venture with British Sky Broadcasting.
Sweeney joined The Walt Disney Company in February 1996 as president of Disney Channel and executive vice president of Disney/ABC Cable Networks.
From October 2000 to April 2004, Sweeney served as president of ABC Cable Networks Group and The Disney Channel Worldwide. Continuing with the strategy that was begun by her predecessor John F. Cooke, The Disney Channel more than quintupled its subscriber base with its mix of original series and movies and acquired programming now available on basic cable in more than 100 million homes in the United States.
In April 2004, she was named president of the Disney/ABC Television Group. In this role, Sweeney was responsible for Disney's entertainment and news television properties globally. These include the ABC Television Network, which encompasses ABC Entertainment, ABC Kids, ABC Daytime, ABC Sports and ABC News; ABC Studios, which is the television production division of the Disney-ABC Television Group; and Disney ABC Cable Networks Group, comprising The Disney Channel Worldwide—which had grown to 24 wholly owned international channels—Toon Disney, SOAPnet, ABC Family and Jetix. She oversaw Walt Disney Television Animation, Buena Vista Worldwide Television and Walt Disney Television International, and had responsibility for managing Disney's equity interests in Lifetime Entertainment Services, and A&E Television Networks.
Oprah Winfrey
Chairman/CEO
Harpo Productions Inc
In 1976, Oprah Winfrey moved to Baltimore to join WJZ-TV News as a co-anchor. There, she co-hosted her first talk show, People Are Talking, while continuing as an anchor and news reporter. She had found a niche that perfectly suited her outgoing personality, and word soon spread to other cities. In January 1984, she was invited to Chicago to host a half-hour morning program on WLS-TV. In less than a year, she turned AM Chicago into the hottest show in town. The format was soon expanded to an hour, and in September 1985 it was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show.
A year later, The Oprah Winfrey Show was broadcast nationally, and quickly became the number one talk show in national syndication. In 1987, its first year of eligibility, the show received three Daytime Emmy Awards in the categories of Outstanding Host, Outstanding Talk/Service Program and Outstanding Direction. The following year, the show received its second consecutive Emmy as Outstanding Talk/Service Program, and Oprah herself received the International Radio and Television Society’s “Broadcaster of the Year” Award. She was the youngest person ever to receive the honor.
By the time America fell in love with Oprah Winfrey the talk show host, she had captured the nation’s attention with her poignant portrayal of Sofia in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple. Winfrey’s performance earned her nominations for an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actress
Her love of acting and her desire to bring quality entertainment projects into production prompted her to form her own production company, Harpo Productions, Inc., in 1986. Today, Harpo is a formidable force in film and television production, as well as magazine publishing and the Internet. In 1988, Harpo Productions, Inc. acquired ownership and all production responsibilities for The Oprah Winfrey Show from Capital Cities/ABC, making Oprah Winfrey the first woman in history to own and produce her own talk show. The following year, Harpo produced its first television miniseries
David Zaslav
President/CEO, Discovery Communications
David M. Zaslav is the president and chief executive officer of Discovery Inc., a position he has held since January 2007.
Most recently under Zaslav, Discovery acquired Scripps Networks Interactive, in a transaction which closed in March 2018. He was previously an executive at NBC Universal
As President and CEO, David Zaslav sets the strategy and oversees all operations for Discovery’s global suite of brands across pay-TV, free-to-air, direct-to-consumer and other digital platforms. Under his leadership, Discovery began trading as a public company in 2008 and became a Fortune 500 company in 2014. Most recently under Zaslav, Discovery acquired Scripps Networks Interactive, in a transaction which closed in March 2018. Together, the combined companies form a collection of world-class brands dedicated to powering people’s passions. Discovery now comprises nearly 20% of ad-supported pay-TV viewership in the U.S. and nearly 7 billion monthly video views, making it the second largest TV company in the U.S. in terms of reach.
Zaslav has led Discovery since 2007, executing a number of initiatives that have focused the organization on growth, performance and operational efficiency. He also has directed a strategic effort to clarify and strengthen Discovery’s world-class brands with a renewed focus on superfan content categories and IP ownership.
Since Zaslav took the helm, Discovery has launched some of the fastest-growing cable networks in the U.S., including Investigation Discovery, the #1 network for women in total day delivery; and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, a top network for African American women.
The company’s global distribution platform has, under Zaslav’s leadership, expanded to 3 billion cumulative worldwide viewers with a diverse set of brands, creating an unmatched international portfolio for viewers, advertisers and distributors. Zaslav has diversified Discovery’s content offering with investments such as kids in Latin America, which have led to Discovery Kids becoming the leading preschool network across the region. Discovery has further strengthened its presence in key international markets through numerous transactions including the acquisition of Eurosport, which led to the groundbreaking agreement with the International Olympic Committee making Discovery and Eurosport the home of the Olympic Games across Europe through 2024.
Zaslav has expanded Discovery’s audiences across all screens with digital content holding company Group Nine Media; OTT offering Eurosport Player; the GO portfolio of TVE apps; and a controlling stake in Play Sports Group, creating the #1 cycling media ecosystem in the world. In August 2017, Zaslav led a joint venture to create MotorTrend Group, bringing together Discovery’s Velocity network with MotorTrend’s entire automotive digital, direct-to-consumer, social and live event portfolio and marking Discovery’s first direct-to-consumer OTT push in the U.S. As part of the effort, Velocity, America’s #1 television destination for automotive fans, was rebranded MotorTrend Network in Fall 2018.
Under Zaslav, Discovery in June 2018 also formed a strategic alliance with PGA TOUR to create the international home of golf. The unprecedented 12-year relationship includes global multiplatform live rights outside the United States to all PGA TOUR media properties totaling approximately 2,000 hours of content per year. The alliance includes the creation of a dedicated, PGA TOUR-branded OTT video streaming service dubbed GOLFTV, which launched in January 2019, capitalizing on Discovery’s direct-to-consumer product and platform expertise as home to the Eurosport Player. A highlight of GOLFTV is a global partnership with PGA TOUR winner and Major champion Tiger Woods, an exclusive multi-year agreement shepherded by Zaslav to provide unparalleled programming around golf’s ultimate competitor.
Zaslav has received multiple awards for his contributions to the media industry as well as his philanthropic work, including the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award, the UJA-Federation of New York’s Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award, Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Fred Dressler Leadership Award, and the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration’s inaugural Susan and S.I. Newhouse Award of Hope. He was inducted into the prestigious Cable Hall of Fame in 2017 and into the Cable TV Pioneers Class of 2018.
At Discovery, Zaslav spearheaded the launch and growth of Discovery Impact, the company’s corporate social responsibility program. In 2016, Zaslav led the creation of the company’s latest global conservation initiative, Project C.A.T.: Conserving Acres for Tigers, to help double the global wild tiger population by 2022.
Prior to joining Discovery, Zaslav had a distinguished career at NBCUniversal, where he was instrumental in developing and launching CNBC and also played a role in the creation of MSNBC. He was previously an attorney with the New York firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby & MacRae and graduated with honors from Boston University School of Law.
Zaslav serves on the boards of Sirius XM Radio, Inc., Lionsgate Entertainment, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, The Cable Center, Grupo Televisa, Partnership for New York City and USC Shoah Foundation. He also is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Paley Center for Media, the Mt. Sinai Medical Center and previously served as an adjunct professor at Fordham University, where he created and taught a graduate-level course on the business of cable television.
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