Cablefax The Magazine - November 2013 - 23

she'll continue to be at the nexus of upcoming deals
in the U.S. Hispanic market. Asencio this year also
notched partnerships with key companies to elevate both
NBCU's programming profile and the rebranding of the
company's VIP app for key clients. And let's not forget her
herculean effort developing the marketing strategy for the
2012 Olympics. " It's all about the people you surround
yourself with, " she says of the work environment. " I like
to establish a diverse team and hone in on each person's
expertise and unique experiences. "
Sandy Ashendorf
EVP, Network
Distribution, BBC
Worldwide America
BBC America continues
to make a splash on this
side of the pond. The
network expanded into 80
million-plus households this year, and Ashendorf is the
carriage conquistador of this welcome British invasion,
responsible for upping the network's content distribution.
Given the chance, she'd swap spots with Charlie
Rose. " I'd love to sit down with the people he regularly
interviews to find out what motivates them and how
they approach the issues of the day, " Ashendorf says.
Kenetta Bailey
Former EVP/CMO
TV One
Talk to Bailey for a little bit
and you'll likely hear the
phrase " Social-by-Design. "
Having spearheaded TV
One's rebrand last year,
Bailey has moved on to new adventures. But we suspect
she'll be announcing something soon-so we're keeping
her on our list. At TV One, she brilliantly placed the network's
shows in the hands of viewers and then got them
to evangelize. The net's well on its way with originals
" R&B Divas " and " The Rickey Smiley Show " setting
social media records, and Facebook and Twitter posting
huge year-over-year gains. Biggest story in cable this
year? " Netflix is an industry game changer, " she says.
Meredith Baker
SVP, Federal
Government Affairs,
NBCUniversal
While a commissioner
at the FCC, Baker voted
heartedly in favor of the
Comcast's purchase of
NBCU. Just four months later, she left the Commission to
help steer the merged entity through regulatory waters
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as one of the merged companies' top government
affairs execs. After serving in the public sector for so
long, Baker enjoys being on the inside track of tech
development. Her favorite part of coming to work is " to
be part of such an innovative culture and watch new
technologies-mobile, online, 4K, and more-change
the way we all view content. "
Jennifer Ball
EVP, Marketing &
Content Partnerships
Univision
Ball led the marketing
efforts surrounding
Univision's UVideos digital
video network as well as
the company's three newly launched networks. She also
oversees the Distribution Partnership Marketing Group,
which consults the company's distribution partners on
marketing matters including creative services, research
and cross-platform media planning. Here's her trick
for maintaining that coveted work/life balance: " Being
at peace with knowing that it doesn't exist. When that
doesn't work... standing on my head helps. "
Sarah Barnett
President/GM
Sundance Channel
" Helping shape all of the
brilliant ideas that come
across my desk into the
bigger puzzle " is Barnett's
favorite part of coming to
work every day. She's also enjoying a title bump, as she
rose from EVP to president of the network this June.
Barnett has steadily built Sundance into an original
programming hub, including its first scripted drama
" Rectify, " which won over viewers and got signed for a
longer second season, and " Top Of The Lake, " another
scripted gem with water-cooler buzz. Barnett also
oversees the network's unscripted strategy, and was
responsible for the 2012 breakout " Push Girls, " which
returned for a second season this spring.
Molly Battin
SVP, Turner Media
Group; GM, upwave
In addition to providing
strategic leadership for
Turner Media, Battin oversees
the company's new
multiplatform health and
wellness initiative, upwave. Digital components are up
and running, and a branded primetime programming
block launches on HLN in December. Her personal
November 2013
wellness plan includes making it a priority to be home
every evening for her three young children- " to hear
about their day, see their games, read with them and
eat dinner as a family. "
Thanda Belker
EVP, Pay Television,
U.S. Distribution, Sony
Pictures Television
Belker's strong relationships
with clients and her
understanding of the cable
pay TV business paid off in
a big way-to the potential tune of $2 billion-earlier
this year when she played an integral role in extending
the agreement between Sony Pictures Entertainment
and Starz for another eight years. Next up for Belker is
continuing to exploit Sony's content in the burgeoning
SVOD market. How does she define workplace success?
" Reading about a deal I worked on and having the firsthand
knowledge of all the intricacies around it. "
Jamia Bigalow
SVP, Distribution
Marketing
Fox Networks
Bigalow's favorite part
of her job is the fact that
the industry is constantly
evolving. " It keeps things
challenging, rewarding and fun, " she says. She played
a critical marketing role this past year in helping Fox
secure significant distribution deals including renewals
with Comcast. Under her leadership, the distribution
marketing team earned numerous Promax/BDA Awards
and CTAM Mark Awards.
Jane Blaney
EVP, Programming,
Acquisitions &
Scheduling
USA Network
Two words cap another
stellar year for Blaney:
" Modern Family. " A 28year
veteran of USA, Blaney has her share of institutional
knowledge. She oversees all content acquisitions for
the network, pushing both for USA's aggressive buying
of network windows of blockbuster films as well as its
acquisition of off-network series. Her acquisitions list
is long, and in addition to recent crown jewel Modern
Family, which came into the fold this year, it includes
" NCIS: LA, " " Sex and the City, " Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Pirates of the
Caribbean trilogy.
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