Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021 - 99

CONTENT LEADERS
81. BRAND AID
Blake Callaway | GM
BBC America, IFC, and SundanceTV
Years in Media & Broadband: I was a latchkey kid so I guess
since 4th grade. In professional terms-26 years
Education: BA, Business, Texas A&M University
My personal superpower is: I am pretty funny, so people
tend to like working with me
Callaway defines the direction of the three AMC Nets he oversees,
continually assessing and evolving their distinct connections with
audiences. Steeped in IFC from the birth of its " Always On, Slightly
Off " tagline, he recently oversaw the final season of hit comedy
" Brockmire " and the " Sherman's Showcase Black History Month
Spectacular. " He's orchestrating the return of several sticky series
to SundanceTV, and with recently added oversight of BBC America,
he's been doubling down on the network's commitment to nature
programming.
MY PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT OVER
THE PAST 12 MONTHS IS... Making sure people were actively
included across the company and establishing a sense of teamwork as
everything changed during the pandemic.
WHAT HABIT ARE YOU
KEEPING POST-PANDEMIC?
Wearing elastic waist pants.
HOW DOES THE COUNTRY
NARROW THE DIGITAL
DIVIDE? By recognizing that
internet access is infrastructure.
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC
FOREVER CHANGED
PROGRAMMING? It
accelerated where we were already
going in the industry.
YOUR COMFORT TV BINGE? " Nicky Ricky Dickey and Dawn "
- I have a 7-year-old.
YOUR PANDEMIC THEME SONG? Dolly Parton, " Light of a
Clear Blue Morning "
STATUS OF YOUR SOURDOUGH BREAD STARTER?
I was too busy doing Spelling Bee.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS
SUMMER? Getting out of the city, a change of scenery, and of
course, tennis.
LAST PODCAST LISTENED TO: " WTF with Marc Maron, "
interviewing John Waters. ■
82. ON THE LAUNCHPAD
Stephen MacDonald | President Global Content Licensing
& International
A+E Networks
Years in Media & Broadband: 30+
Education: New Hampshire College
My personal superpower is: If it can be conceived, it can be
achieved
MacDonald has shepherded more launches than NASA. Maybe
that's hyperbole, but he has been behind some pretty critical debuts,
including the first cross-A+E Networks-Asia co-production " COVID
vs the World, " the special out of A+E Japan " Hiroshima: 75 Years
Later, " as well as a Lifetime-branded AVOD channel in New Zealand
and a high-definition Lifetime Movie Network in Australia. Plus, under
his watch, the launch and expansion of the company's portfolio
of new audio content has earned industry applause.
MY PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT OVER
THE PAST 12 MONTHS IS... how A+E's Global Content sales
has come together as a team, where we are committed to each other's
success and the continuing success of our best-in-class organization.
HOW MANY TIKTOK DANCES HAVE YOU LEARNED?
Too many.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS
SUMMER? Paddle tennis and volleyball, golf, cycling.
LAST PODCAST LISTENED TO: " Finding Mastery:
Conversations With Michael Gervais " ■
Cablefax: The Magazine
August 2021
cablefaxmag.com
99
Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021

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