Cablefax The Magazine - November 2011 - 20

Most Powerful Women in Cable 2011: The Top 50
to the WICT board, where she helps drive the organization's
strategy. She also helped spread the good word among cable
colleagues as a speaker at the 2011 NAB, CTAM and WICT
conferences.
Women in cable: " The women in this industry are doing a great
job using their platforms to highlight and advance issues that
are important to other women, whether through programming
or legislation. "
Passion: " The proliferation of new technology and devices really
gets me excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. "
Favorite destination: " Zanzibar. The sunrises are stunning and
the scuba diving is incredible. "
35. Dana Zimmer
EVP, TV Networks Distribution, NBCU
In her role at NBCU, Zimmer co-leads
the national sales team's distribution
of TV content to the cable, satellite
and telco industries. She has overseen
distribution deals for NBCU's multibillion-dollar
content portfolio of cable
networks Bravo, CNBC, E!, G4, Golf Channel, Style Network,
Syfy, MSNBC, USA and Versus, while playing a key role in
distribution efforts of Comcast Sports Networks in a dozen
geographic regions. Busy enough? Zimmer also works with
NBCU's Digital Distribution division to deliver digital services to
the company's TV Networks Distribution partners.
Women in cable: " I have always believed women shouldn't
accept or acknowledge anything less than a fair playing field.
I have no tolerance for gender discrepancy in the workplace.
When I think about the incredibly talented women we have in
our industry, I am humbled. The next wave of women leaders
won't recognize the term 'boys club.' "
Career accomplishment: " Looking back, I am fortunate to have
worked for the best brands in the business and have been
part of ground-breaking network launches. I am most proud of
helping others tap into sports careers. "
Favorite food: " My sister Cara Mia's homemade mozzarella. "
36. Sheila Nevins
President, Documentary and Family
Programming, HBO
After producing some 500 documentaries
for the U.S. Information Service,
ABC, CBS and production company
Spinning Reels, Nevins joined HBO
in 1979. Now president of the net's
documentary and family programming, she has helped it win
nine Oscars, 13 Primetime Emmys, 10 Academy Awards, 22
News and Documentary Emmys and 18 George Foster Peabody
awards for HBO (and one Peabody for herself). Nevins'
accomplishments have earned her a News and Documentary
Emmy for Lifetime Achievement, a Lifetime Achievement
Award from the International Documentary Association, and
induction into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.
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37. Susan Swain
President/Co-COO, C-SPAN
Swain may be responsible for the CSPAN's
daily editorial operations, but
she is hardly an armchair executive. She
serves as longtime on-air moderator for
morning show " Washington Journal " and
a collaborator on such historical series as
" The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858, " Peabody-winning " American
Presidents: Life Portraits " and " American Writers II: The 20th
Century. " Swain also moderates coverage of national political conventions,
presidential debates and election nights. She is an officer
of C-SPAN parent National Cable Satellite Corp., a board member
of C-SPAN Educational Foundation and member of The Museum
of Television and Radio, CTAM and the Washington Cable Club.
Passion: " Having three C-SPAN channels on multiple screens,
including the iPad apps of Time Warner and Cablevision, is
great. These cool new technologies enable our audience to
find content more conveniently, and challenge us to keep
programming current and compelling for an audience that has
so many viewing options. "
Challenge: " Keeping the C-SPAN networks cutting-edge and
innovative while remaining consistent with our corporate and
editorial mission-and the public service mission of the cable
operators who fund our services. "
Pet peeve: " Sitting in Washington's notorious bumper-to-bumper
traffic. Bless you, whoever invented Bluetooth! "
38. Cathy Avgiris
SVP/GM, Communications and Data
Services, Comcast
Avgiris is among the leading voices
in cable TV: literally. She boosted
Comcast's Internet, voice and wireless
services from zero market share
into the nation's fourth-largest phone
company, with 8 million customers. Heading Comcast's VoIP
and wireless Internet arms, she oversees a portfolio that generates
$11 billion-plus annually. Last year, Avgiris and her team
launched Xfinity Internet 2go, providing nationwide 4G wireless
data service, while leading rollout of the top 100 free app Xfinity
Mobile for the iPhone, iPod Touch and Android devices, now
with 9 million customers. In 2011, she partnered with Skype,
enabling Comcast customers to utilize HD video calling via TV.
Avgiris is also a member of the Forum for Executive Women
and WICT's Philadelphia chapter mentoring program.
Passion: " Convergence has been talked about for a long time,
but we are finally bringing the experience to customers. Who
would have thought cable operators would be in the app
space, enabling customers to access entertainment, information
and communications from tablets and other devices? "
Career accomplishment: " Launching our Xfinity Voice service, one of
the largest organically grown residential phone companies in the
country. We were able to change up a 50-plus-year-old product
into an integrated platform for communications and make it cool to
November 2011
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Cablefax The Magazine - November 2011

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