Cablefax The Magazine - November 2014 - 21

Jaclyn Cohen
Lynne Costantini
EVP, Programming &
Acquisitions
TV Land
While TV Land is gaining
a reputation for its
original sitcoms, it's still
a home for good TV of
the past. Under Cohen's direction, the network added
popular series such as " Walker, Texas Ranger " and
" Curb Your Enthusiasm. " But she also has an eye to
the future-spearheading the TV Land app's launch
while overseeing multiplatform program strategy.
She identifi es the " incredible quality " of original
programming as the biggest story in cable right now.
Donna Coleman
EVP, Corporate
Financial Planning &
Control
Cablevision Systems
Cablevision's budget
and fi nancial planning
all falls under Coleman's
purview. The past year has seen her spearheading
efforts to restructure the fi nance organization to better
meet the needs of Cablevision's focus as a more
customer-centric organization. " I think one of the
major stories [this year] is the change in traditional
video consumption and the growth in data usage.
This is a great opportunity for cable to position
themselves as the premier providers of connectivity, "
she says.
Italia Commisso-Weinand
EVP, Programming &
Human Resources
Mediacom
Having joined Mediacom
in 1996 as one of its
fi rst three employees,
Commisso-Weinand is
responsible for building and cultivating the operator's
human resources department and helping to
guide its programming strategy. She's been busy
this year helping transition the company's corporate
employees to its new facility. But the accomplishment
of which she's most proud? Helping her son
get through his sophomore year in college. Her best
trick for balancing work and home life is having a
supportive partner. Also, she suggests " budgeting
focused time with best friends and special relatives. "
Jennifer Cotter
EVP, Television &
Content
HSN
A nine-year HSN
veteran, Cotter oversees
the network's 24-hour
programming as well
as all talent, production teams and engineering.
Recent accomplishments include creating lifestyle
video commerce for HSN, notably its " It's Fun Here "
rebrand, social participation wins for programs like
" Beauty Report " and 685% increase in Pinterest pins
since the launch and integration of " The List with
Colleen Lopez " in March. Cotter believes strongly in
giving back. " Our success is routed in the opportunities
we've had, and we have a responsibility to
create a path for others, " she says.
Carolyn Crawford
VP, Programming
DISH Network
Crawford plays an integral
role in negotiating
carriage deals, developing
new video services
for the distributor,
managing relationships with its Spanish-language
partners and staying on top of the latest trends in
distribution. It's never a dull day at the offi ce; of late
the blackout of several Turner networks in the wake
of a carriage disagreement was top of mind for this
busy executive. Crawford considers adapting to the
increasingly competitive TV ecosystem a necessary
focus for the industry.
President, Business
Development
TheBlaze
Thanks to Costantini's
efforts, TheBlaze TV has
nearly tripled the number
of satellite and cable
affi liates carrying the network in the past year. She
believes in order to continue to advance women's
achievements in the industry, it's imperative to
" proactively and deliberately seek out women to fi ll
board seats and senior executive positions, pair high
potential women with senior executives in formal
and informal mentoring programs and continue to
support leadership programs. "
Katrina Cukaj
EVP, Ad Sales &
Marketing
CNN
Cukaj and her team
pulled in an impressive
list of sponsors including
American Express and
Coach, with the June launch of CNNMoney. She will
continue to show the marketplace the value proposition
of partnering with CNN through its new CNN
Films and Original Series franchises.
Jennifer Dangar
President,
Distribution &
Business
Development
The Weather Channel
When the Weather Channel
regained carriage on
DirecTV after a three-month-long blackout this past
year, Dangar was the one who made it happen. But
this passionate, collaborative and strategic exec also
knows how to balance hard work and down time.
" Pick a great boss to work for, " she says. " One who
understands how hard you work and gives you the
fl exibility to do what you need to when you need
to-and never apologize or feel guilty about spending
time with your family. "
Nancy Daniels
GM
TLC
Daniels ascended to
GM in September 2013,
and when she says that
changing viewer habits
push networks " to innovate
on how to reach our audience, " she speaks
from experience: the fi rst quarter of 2014 earned
TLC its best Prime performance in a decade in several
demos, including households and women 2554/18-49.
The numbers swelled based on returning
favorites such as " The Little Couple " and also from
new shows " 90 Day Fiancé " and " My Five Wives. "
Cablefax: The Magazine
November 2014
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21
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Cablefax The Magazine - November 2014

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