Cablefax The Magazine - December 2011 - 23

23 | SHAKEN, NOT
DETERRED
Matt Bond
Title: EVP, Content Distribution, NBCU
Years in Cable: 13 (CableFAX estimate)
Education:
BS, BA, University of Denver;
JD, University of Colorado
Why Him? As EVP of content distribution
following Comcast's acquisition
of NBCU, Bond remains the right hand
of CEO Steve Burke, with whom he's
worked for a decade. In addition to an
instrumental role in development and
oversight of the company's windowing
strategy and integration of premium
video on demand, he is charged with
ensuring NBCU customers have plenty
of high-tech toys to keep them from
straying.
Take A Hike: When he's not dotting
distribution deals for NBCU, Bond thinks
it's amusing to hike Colorado's 14,000foot
peaks. He also surfs... and enjoys
fly-fishing.
Year Ahead: Bond's tenure seems
secure as he leads the company's
authentication of the Olympics on cable
through 2020, including the 2012 summer
games in London.
Favorite meal I can also prepare
myself: Corona Light
Favorite restaurant: Saltwater Cowboys,
Saint Augustine, Fla.
Favorite " going out " towns: New
Orleans, Los Angeles
Best technique for deterring timewasting
office visits from co-workers:
None, I like company.
Favorite vacation spot: My back deck.
Guilty TV pleasure: " Warehouse 13 "
When I look at my cable set-top box,
I can't help but think: There's a cool
box in there waiting to get out. ◆
25 |THE CONTENT GUY
Greg Rigdon
Title: EVP, Content Acquisition, Comcast
Education: BA, Oberlin; MA, Princeton
Why Him? Steering the strategic direction
of Comcast's ever-vast content port26
| PRIVATE EYE
Rocco Commisso
Title: Chairman/CEO, Mediacom
Years in Cable: 26
Education: BS, MBA, Columbia
Why Him? Yeah, we'd say Commisso's
had a banner year. If you're looking
CableFAX: The Magazine
24 | STRATEGIST STERN
Peter Stern
Title: EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, Time Warner Cable
Years in Cable: 8
Education: BA, Music and English, Harvard; JD, Yale
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: The key to inspiration is
getting started.
Why Him? Savvy strategist Stern is the man behind Time
Warner's relentless pursuit of TV Everywhere and authenticated
content. Authentication is no easy task, but it'll be the linchpin
for success for any operator's new media distribution strategy.
Stern's also responsible for strategic planning, new business development
and the RoadRunner.com portal, as well as the recent
acquisition of the NaviSite for enterprise business customers.
The 88s: Stern is an avid classical pianist. When not busy
strategizing at TWC, he is the piano accompanist for his three
children, who play flute, cello and violin.
Year Ahead: 2012 will be a big year for TV Everywhere and
operators will need to prove the service works. We're betting
Stern can pull it off.
Cable's biggest innovation: Liberation from the set-top box-
digital cable on tablets, PCs, and smart TVs.
Guilty television pleasure: Buffering the Super Bowl so I can
fast-forward the play action and watch the ads.
What puzzles me most about Millennials: They use their cell
phones for everything except for making phone calls.
My favorite iPad app: App Store (and if you gave me three
wishes, I would use one of them to ask for more wishes). ◆
folio is job No. 1 for Rigdon, who quietly
arrived in Philadelphia a year ago from
Charter to replace Matt Bond amid the
NBCU executive shuffle. Rigdon's oversight
includes the negotiation of programming
agreements for cable systems. In addition,
he manages Comcast's XfinityTV.com
initiative, which gained significant steam
for the personification of the American
Dream, look no further than this
outspoken cable veteran. After taking
Mediacom public in 2000 and building
it to become the eighth largest cable
operator in the country, this spring he
bought back whole ownership of the
company. With the Cable Center 2011
Hall of Fame honoree holding the reins
December 2011
this year. In cable, he's the guy you need
to see. And probably more than once.
Year Ahead:
As Comcast's products
and services become increasingly
integrated, Rigdon will be working overtime
to assure content aggregation is smooth
across platforms. ◆
of his company, which serves 1.3 million
customers primarily in small cities in 22
states, he is focusing on building out
advanced digital services and speaking
out to keep down the cost of content.
Year Ahead:
Anyone who can
maneuver such a smooth transition of
power gets our thumbs up. ◆
cablefaxmag.com
23
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Cablefax The Magazine - December 2011

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