Cablefax The Magazine - June 2018 - 28

45. TURN UP
Coleman Breland
President, Content
Experiences
Turner Classic
Movies & FilmStruck
Years in Cable: 24
Lenny
Daniels
President & GM
Turner Sports
Years in Cable:
20
Kevin Reilly
President
TBS & TNT
Chief Creative Officer
Turner Entertainment
Years in Cable: 30
Education: Cornell University
Turner's been on a hot streak, thanks in no
small measure to these three wise men. Breland
continues to freshen the classics at TCM and digital
46. LAW & ORDER
Savalle Sims
EVP & General Counsel
Discovery
Years in Cable: 6
Education: BS, Marketing
and Transportation
Distribution Management, Syracuse University;
JD, University of Notre Dame Law School
Gunnar Wiedenfels
CFO
Discovery
Years in Cable: 14, including my time at
ProSieben.Sat1 and at McKinsey
Education: University of Mannheim; PhD,
RWTH Aachen University
The legal acrobatics surrounding a deal the size
of Discovery's Scripps acquisition would give
many executives pause. Not so for Sims, who
tackled the case load with smarts and passion,
and now is employing her characteristic
collaborative and communicative style to guide
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offshoot FilmStruck. Daniels is the company's
sports content innovator, overseeing not only deals
for the likes of perennial slam-dunk NCAA March
Madness, but Turner's burgeoning esports business.
If you've noticed coverage leading up to the big
games increasingly looks like a music festival, that's
because Daniels knows the key to audience growth
is to reach beyond the diehard sports fans and
create full entertainment experiences. For a report
card on Reilly, look no further than the ratings run at
TBS-home of Samantha Bee, Conan O'Brien and
" The Last O.G. " -and TNT's big payoff with " The
Alienist, " which spawned plans to launch an entire
line of suspense dramas during the new season.
Coleman Breland
The biggest innovation in cable over the last
year? The constant evolution of the Xfinity set
top box. Functionality, navigation and consumerfocused
offerings - it sets a very high standard.
What does the future look like for skinny
bundles and flexible packaging? No doubt all
network portfolios are looking in the mirror and asking
themselves how they are positioned for a world
of fewer linear networks. Key is to make your content
match the demands of the fans-navigation, personalization,
community, flexibility are the cornerstones.
And of course, creating a fantastic story.
her team as they ensure a smooth integration.
Wiedenfels combines extensive international
experience-he formerly was CFO at ProSieben
in Germany-and business smarts to guide
Discovery's ongoing transformation as a global
IP media company. He focuses on strategies
that maximize the company's traditional linear
business as well as new opportunities in digital,
mobile and short-form.
If you could have a superpower, what would
it be and why? Time traveler. See anything
with your own eyes.
Kevin Reilly
An area where cable could use improvement?
I see VOD as the biggest area that is ripe for
improvement. Most MVPDs either don't offer it or, if
they do, it's often an inferior consumer experience.
What does the future look like for skinny
bundles and flexible packaging? In this
country the consumer ultimately wins, so it
seems that skinny bundles that include the
networks the consumer chooses will be the
healthiest result to ensure the ongoing growth
and sustainability of these types of services.
Last show I binged not on my network(s): I
binge " Last Week Tonight with John Oliver " two or
three at a time, whenever I can. I love the show. ■
without? Dashlane password manager app, which
keeps all of my passwords close at hand. It is very
convenient and provides a lot of peace of mind.
What's the first thing you read in the morning?
I love reading the WSJ and NYT apps on
my iPad to keep me up to speed on all the
biggest news of the day.
Savalle Sims
Last show I binged not on my network(s):
" Stranger Things "
Favorite podcast: " This American Life "
Gunnar Wiedenfels
What product or service could you not live
June 2018
Last show I binged not on my network(s): I've
made it through every season to date of " Homeland "
and am currently waiting desperately for each new
episode to come out.
Favorite short-form content? I very much enjoy
Group Nine's NowThisNews - short form content
that's engaging and informative.
If you could have a superpower, what would
it be and why? Never need to sleep? There are
just not enough hours in every day.
An area where cable could use improvement?
Better data integration and a new industry
currency for total audience measurement.
Bitcoin - pro or con? Con. I very much
believe in the concept of crypto currencies,
but it will likely to take a long time to become
mass market and it is unlikely that bitcoin will
win in the end. ■
Cablefax: The Magazine
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Cablefax The Magazine - June 2018

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