Cablefax The Magazine - December 2012 - 43

80. CROWN JEWEL
Bill Abbott
Title: President/CEO,
Crown Media Family Networks
Number of Years in Cable: 25
Education: College of the Holy Cross in
Worcester, Mass.
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less:
Remember that actions and ideas have
consequences.
Why Him? Described by colleagues as a
visionary who possesses a rare combination
of decisiveness and an open mind, Abbott
has the willingness to concede his point
or idea when presented with something
stronger. He has been instrumental to the
expansion of Hallmark's programming
strategy, with a brand new block of daytime
programming and has been central to
negotiations resulting in development of the
channel's first-ever scripted series " Cedar
Cove. " Abbott has plans to further expand
original programming and to also build upon
the synergistic relationship between Crown
Media Family Networks and parent company
Hallmark Cards.
Favorite business and/or motivational
book: Success is a Choice by Rick Patino
My favorite vacation spot: Cape Cod
The one thing I tell my kids about success
in life: Make smart decisions.
The one thing I'd do differently if I
could go back to high school: Recognize
that it was just one moment in time.
If I invented my own app it would...
allow me to truly watch my TV anywhere!
When scientists from the future dig
up a cable system from 2012, they
will conclude that... It was a good try,
but archaic.
81. SMART WITH A
HEART
Colleen Abdoulah
Title: CEO/Chairwoman, WOW!
Years in Cable: 28
Education: MBA
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Laugh often,
love deeply, give back.
Why Her? Don't mistake Abdoulah's trademark
warmth for a lack of business sense. This woman is
always blazing a trail. At WOW!, Abdoulah is leading
J.D. Powers once again while taking on a brand new
acquisition in Knology. That moves WOW! up one spot
among cable operators to become the ninth largest
MSO in the country. As the current head of the ACA,
she's also the voice of small and mid-sized operators,
leading and advocating through her testimony before
Congress and in other forums.
Early bird or night owl? Natural night owl, but
miserably work at being an early bird so I can get
a work out in the morning.
The potato chip flavor that needs to be invented:
Carmel Apple
I'd give up my cell phone for a week if... I
could get away with it.
The one thing I'd do differently if I could go
back to high school: Not drink so much beer.
My famous last words will be: Don't have too
much fun without me.
The incident from my youth taught me an
important lesson. What was the incident and
the lesson? In the dead of the Canadian winter,
don't stick your tongue on a frozen steel fence
post when offered a bet to do so.
82. THE FAMILY GUY
Michael Riley
Titile: President, ABC Family
(pictured, 3rd from left)
Number of Years in Cable: 16
Education: BA University of Western Ontario,
MBA London Business School
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Don't sweat
the small stuff.
Why Him? Within the first year Riley took
the helm as president in 2010, he greenlit
five new original series- " Switched at
Birth, " " The Nine Lives of Chloe King, " " The
Lying Game, " " State of Georgia " and " Jane
By Design " -marking the most ambitious
original programming slate in the network's
history and garnering ABC Family's largest
summer audience on record in prime in terms
of total viewers and across its core 18-34,
18-49 and 12-34 demos. Riley also oversees
original programming and acquisitions,
franchise management, marketing, sales and
operations, and he drives the overall strategic
CableFAX: The Magazine
December 2012
and creative direction for the channel.
Early bird or night owl? Night owl
" The Voice " coach I'd like to work with is...
Cee Lo Green
Gangnam style or Mozart? Gangnam style by
day, Mozart by night.
Disney World or Universal Studios Orlando?
Disney World
My favorite vacation spot: Italy
My favorite iPad app: ABC Family Player
My guilty television pleasure is... " Storage
Wars " -So fascinating!
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