Cablefax The Magazine - November 2014 - 7

7. Nomi Bergman
10. Debra Lee
President
Bright House Networks
It was another busy year for Bergman,
one of the highest-ranking female
execs on the operator side of the
business. Ask for her biggest point of
pride for 2014, and she'll point to the
efforts of the Bright House team to
improve customer care and strengthen the operation. On the
engineering/platform side, she's proud of companywide billing
standardization and migration, which positively impacted customers
and employees. How does Bergman defi ne success?
" I always think success really comes down to how I feel about
myself, and my actions, when I look in the mirror each night, "
she says.
8. Eileen O'Neill
Global Group President
Discovery Studios
O'Neill added oversight of the Science
and Velocity Networks to her
portfolio in February and plans to
grow the outlets into household
names, while continuing to bolster
Discovery's reach. Following 2013's
" Skywire Live with Nik Wallenda, " which provided Discovery
its top-rated special in 13 years, O'Neill spearheaded November's
" Nik Wallenda's Skyscraper Live " event and will lead
Discovery's move into even more live events in the future. The
20-year Discovery vet has a nifty way of getting away during
downtime: " I heard having your spouse/partner hold on to
your Blackberry during weekends helps. "
9. Anne Sweeney
Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks
President, Disney/ABC TV Group
Suffi ce it to say Ben Sherwood has
some big shoes to fi ll. As Sweeney departs
the Mouse House after 18 years
at the company, her legacy shines
brightly. Her " closing credits " would fi ll
dozens of screens, but to name a few:
Under Sweeney's guidance, ABC became the fi rst network to
offer shows online way back in 2005. She also built ABC Family
into a top cable network, and steered Disney Channel to become
the youth programming powerhouse it is today. Sweeney
oversaw Disney's equity interest in A+E Nets, Hulu and others,
and her division had more than a small hand in parent Disney's
stock hitting an all-time high in March. Exactly how and when
she'll take her talents behind the camera remains to be seen. In
the meantime, the industry will be waiting.
12. Melinda Witmer
EVP, Chief Video Officer & COO
Time Warner Cable Networks
If overseeing video and content
strategy, including all distribution arrangements,
wasn't a heavy enough
workload, Witmer also oversees the
company's 40 regional and local
news, sports, traffi c channels, as well
as two regional sports networks. With the Dodgers RSN fuss
and the pending Comcast acquisition, it's been anything but
a quiet year. But Witmer forges ahead, with a reputation as a
tough negotiator, but also a problem solver. Her defi nition of a
successful career includes working for " people you admire and
respect and pay it forward. If you don't respect and admire your
leaders, change jobs. You want to learn from the best. "
11. Kristin Dolan
COO
Cablevision Systems
Dolan got a big promotion in April to
recognize her success as president
of Optimum services. And as COO,
she leads all aspects of Cablevision's
cable operations as well as the company's
ad sales division, overseeing
more than 10,000 employees across the company. Key
accomplishments this year include increasing broadband
speeds and continuing expansion of WiFi, with the company
on track to hit 1 million hotspots across its footprint by yearend.
Ask Dolan what the biggest story in cable this year is
and she predictably declares it to be " WiFi, WiFi, WiFi " -oh,
and a merger! "
Chairman & CEO
BET Networks
BET Networks chief Lee is always
striving to take the programmer to the
next level. Whether that means upping
the original programming roster
with shows like " Real Husbands of
Hollywood " and " Let's Stay Together, "
or tackling important topics as it did in September with its
one-hour special on the Ferguson, MO, police shooting of
Michael Brown. This year, BET Networks received the Walter
Kaitz Foundation's Diversity Champion Award. But that's not
enough for Lee. " It will inspire us to keep reaching higher, " Lee
told those gathered for the Kaitz Dinner in September. She
challenged the entire industry to " look around their company,
especially the executive table " and make sure it mirrors how
the world looks now and will look in the future.
Cablefax: The Magazine
November 2014
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Cablefax The Magazine - November 2014

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