Cablefax The Magazine - December 2011 - 49

76 | WOW ME
Colleen Abdoulah
Title: Chairwoman/CEO, WOW!
Years in Cable: 27
Education: MBA
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Never give
advice; just tell stories.
Why Her? Abdoulah's had a big year. Not only did
WOW! complete its digital transition-no small
feat-but this summer she was named chairwoman
of the American Cable Assn. The policy role is a good
one for the Abdoulah, a perennial voice for small and
77 | MILLENNIALS' BFF
Michael Riley
Title: President, ABC Family
Years in Cable: 15
Education: BA, University of Western
Ontario, Canada; MBA, London
Business School
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less:
It's a marathon, not a sprint.
Why Him? Since becoming the ABC
Family patriarch in 2010, Riley has
green-lit five new original series-including
out-of-the-box hit " Switched at
Birth, " " The Nine Lives of Chloe King, "
" The Lying Game, " " State of Georgia "
and " Jane By Design " -to mark the
most ambitious original programming
slate in the network's history.
78 | CROWNING TOUCH
Bill Abbott
Title: President/CEO,
Crown Media Family
Networks
Years in Cable: 24
Education: College of the Holy Cross
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less:
Be prepared.
Why Him? 2011 brought solid validation
for many of the strategies Abbott'
CableFAX: The Magazine
mid-sized operators on retrans, universal service
and Internet policy. WOW! lost no time adding HD
channels in the wake of the digital upgrade, and the
company is also finishing a transition of its CMTS
plant to support DOCSIS 3.0.
Top-Tier: The DOCSIS upgrade allows WOW! to
add two new, faster Internet tiers sure to make
streaming and gaming customers smile
Year Ahead:
Expect WOW! to continue
capitalizing on its upgrade investments.
If I had to pick a personal theme song, it
would be: " I Will Testify to Love! "
My favorite " going out " town: The Big Apple
Its largest-ever summer primetime
audience quickly followed suit. Among
teens 12-17, " The Secret Life of the
American Teenager, " " Pretty Little
Liars " and " Switched at Birth " beat all
2010-11 programming on The CW
and all of MTV's scripted fare this year.
Year Ahead:
ABC Family has
become synonymous with the millennial
brand-and that puts Riley in
the catbird seat. Can he hold on to
this most fickle of audiences?
My favorite meal that I can also
prepare myself: Grilled cheese and
roast Turkey (not together).
The one topping that should
never be put on a hot dog:
Reese's Pieces, very odd.
The biggest innovation in cable
been honing recently. In its first year
as a Nielsen-rated network, Hallmark
Movie Channel more than doubled
its women and total audience in both
primetime and total day-and added
8.5 million new subscriber households
since the time it was first measured
in April 2010 for a total of almost 45
million. Last year Hallmark Channel
unleashed its first-ever daytime block
of serial programming, anchored by
" The Martha Stewart Show " and other
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
December 2011
over the last year: TV Everywhere
and authentication-multiscreen TV
watching.
Favorite restaurant: The Bazaar,
Los Angeles
Favorite " going out " town: Chicago-great
food and tasty drinks.
Favorite coffee order at Starbucks:
Non-fat cappuccino, bone dry no milk.
Bands I would actually go see live:
Coldplay, Mika
My favorite business and/or
programming, and Abbott plans to
further expand original content for
Hallmark and Hallmark Movie Channel
in 2012. It's cause for a congratulatory
greeting card.
Furry Friends: Abbott is passionate
about is the welfare of animals
and is an active board member for
the American Humane Assn. and
Last Hope Animal Rescue.
Year Ahead:
We'll be watching
to see whether more original programming
is a hallmark of another
The one thing I tell my kids about success in
life: It's how you live it that will matter, not what
you have.
Worst thing I've ever heard someone say in a
meeting: Nothing, because they were sleeping
Guilty television pleasure: " Grey's Anatomy " ◆
motivational books: Blue Ocean
Strategy and Outliers
Favorite sports team: Montreal
Canadiens (home town)
Favorite vacation spot: Italy
Guilty television pleasure:
" Pawn Stars "
When I look at my cable set-top
box, I can't help but think: It has
more capacity and technology
than the lunar landing module.
What puzzles me most about
Millennials is: Their ability to multitask
across multiple platforms.
What I admire most about Millennials
is: Their ability to multitask
across multiple platforms.
Number of companies I've
worked for since graduating
from college: 3 ◆
banner year.
If I had to pick a personal theme
song, it would be: " Forever Young "
Favorite restaurant: Christiano's
Restaurant, Long Island
Favorite " going out " town: Chicago
The one thing I tell my kids about
success in life: Work hard.
My best technique for deterring
time-wasting office visits from
co-workers: Shut the door.
Bands I would actually go see live:
Billy Joel, Elton John, Rod Stewart ◆
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49
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Cablefax The Magazine - December 2011

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