Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021 - 104

CONTENT LEADERS
92. AN INSPIRED SUCCESS
David Cerullo | President & CEO | INSP
Years in Media & Broadband: 31
Education: BS, Business Administration and Management
My personal superpower is: The ability to look at an empty
field and visualize a thriving live/work/play campus; then
bring that to fruition
Cerullo is the visionary behind INSP's impressive, and continuing,
expansion. Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, INSP saw its
sixth straight year of year-over-year ratings growth in 2020 while its
average monthly commercial content ratings spiked by a whopping
159%. He has accomplished this through an aggressive strategy
that includes increased social media activity and a push to develop
original and exclusive content that fits INSP's inspired and familyfriendly
brand image.
93. NET GAIN
Ken Solomon | President | Tennis Channel
Years in Media &
Broadband: Almost 40
Education: BA, Business
and Sociology, UCLA
My personal
superpower is: Extra
battery life
Solomon is a can-do executive,
and when the world
shut down last March he
NUMBER OF TIMES
FLOWN IN THE PAST
YEAR? Two dozen.
WHAT SHOW/MOVIE
HASN'T BEEN REBOOTED
THAT YOU WISH WOULD
BE? " Bonanza " and " Gunsmoke. "
MY PROUDEST
PROFESSIONAL
ACHIEVEMENT OVER
THE PAST 12 MONTHS
IS... Successfully navigating
our company through the COVID
pandemic, creating and implementing protocols that protected our team
members and maximized a safe working environment. ■
kept live tennis on the air with the speedy creation of the three-hour,
daily " Tennis Channel Live " show that bridged the gap between the
stop of the professional tour in March and its mid-August resumption.
To boot, he launched Tennis Channel International in Germany,
Austria and Switzerland, marking the network's first foray into the
global marketplace. Now that live play is returning, Tennis Channel
is playing to win.
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC FOREVER CHANGED
PROGRAMMING? We got where we were going, only five years
faster...
WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER
STREAMING LOOK LIKE? Back to bundled. Balancing F.A.S.T
and Premium channels.
YOUR PANDEMIC THEME SONG? " You Don't Know How It
Feels " - Tom Petty ■
94. BLUE'S CLUES
James Blue III | SVP & Head | Smithsonian Channel
Years in Media & Broadband: 30
Education: Princeton University's School of Public and
International Affairs
Former " PBS NewsHour " and " Nightline " senior producer Blue
boarded the niche network in December. The role is an expansive
one; he also oversees news and factual unscripted content for sibling
MTV Entertainment Group as parent ViacomCBS seeks to infuse more
synergy into its sprawling family. Blue is a veteran newsman who
executive-produced BET's coverage of the 2012 election cycle, among
other previous gigs. Look for him to fill out and diversify Smithsonian's
slate of documentaries and series, as well as its experiential offerings.
104
cablefaxmag.com
WHAT SHOW/MOVIE HASN'T BEEN
REBOOTED THAT YOU WISH WOULD
BE? I loved " Land of the Lost " as a kid and believe
it should have a second chance.
WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF DIRECT-TOCONSUMER
STREAMING LOOK LIKE?
We will have interfaces much like Apple TV that will
curate our various subscriptions into one place.
YOUR PERSONAL D&I EPIPHANY? Our
" what " is producing and making good programs.
The " how " is through diversity, equality and
inclusion. As programmers, we misstep when we make diversity the
" what. " It informs the what but mostly it helps us realize the larger goal.
LAST PODCAST LISTENED TO: " Consider This " ... from NPR.
Re-listening to " Serial " season 1. We lived in Baltimore when it was
released. Asia McLean! ■
August 2021
Cablefax: The Magazine
Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021
