Cablefax The Magazine - December 2010 - 40

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WHITE HOT
Larry W. Jones
Title: President, TV Land
Years in Cable: 22
Education: BA, Ohio State
I Watch TV Mostly: TiVo/Recorded
Why Him? Jones spearheaded TV Land's foray into
original scripted programming and smartly decided not
to reinvent the wheel but to give the network's viewers
something they already liked-a classic sitcom. Sticking
with that strategy, he brought Hot in Cleveland to the network.
The show was a hit right out of the block, averaging
4.75mln viewers when it premiered in June, becoming TV
Land's highest-rated broadcast ever.
The Amazing Kreskin: We don't know if Jones has a
crystal ball, but he suggested casting Betty White in Hot in
Cleveland well before she appeared in the Snickers Super
Bowl spot. The ad generated buzz around the octogenarian
and led to the Internet push that landed her on Saturday
Night Live, officially making her Hollywood's " It Girl. "
Year Ahead: If viewers love Jones' next scripted original,
Retired at 35, premiering in Jan and starring George
Segal, he'll be off to a great start for '11.
A Non-Cable Co That Knows Its Business: Target
Dinner With Any Cable Star: Ted Turner-I love his maverick
style.
Most Creative Part of My Job: The opportunity for reinvention.
Everything is changing, and programmers have to
evolve; that's a most exciting and motivational feeling.
Favorite Non-TV Land Show: The Odd Couple
Motto: Earn your living from your passion.
Business Advice: Focus on the long term.
Favorite City for Business: LA
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HIT MAN
Jeff Wachtel
Title: President, Original Programming, USA Networks;
Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions
Number of Years in Cable: 12
Education: BA, Yale
I Watch TV Mostly: A mix of live, online, On Demand,
TiVo/Recorded
Why Him? With shows like Psych, White Collar, Burn
Notice and new hit Covert Affairs, which was picked up
for a second season after a successful summer run, USA
remains the top cable net. Wachtel's disciplined approach
and attunement to USA's audience has paid big dividends.
Next Big Thing: The affable Wachtel is aggressively
hunting for more hits to add to USA's stable of characterdriven
shows. He has six drama pilots in the works and is
looking to broaden USA's lineup with comedy as well as
reality fare.
Year Ahead: USA has dabbled in reality, but Wachtel is
orchestrating a serious push. He needs to tread carefully
as reality could dilute a brand respected for its characterdriven
dramas.
On Your iPad: Scripts on iAnnotate, cuts on Encodi, lots
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of email, books and about 100 game apps my kids have
downloaded.
Dinner With Any Cable Stars, It Would Be: The Jersey
Shore cast. But I'd actually lock them in a basement and
we'd never have to hear from them again.
Who Wins a Fight Between Kevin Martin and Julius
Genachowski? Genachowski would school Martin. After
you've gone toe to toe with Barry Diller, the rest is easy.
December 2010
CableFAX: The Magazine
http://www.cablefaxmag.com
Cablefax The Magazine - December 2010

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