Vanguard Award for Government and Community Relations
by Randy Barrett -- Multichannel News, 5/19/2008 2:00:00 AM
Carol Melton
Executive Vice President of Global Public Policy
Time Warner Inc.
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association has named Time Warner Inc.’s Carol Melton a 2008 Vanguard award winner for government and community relations. The laurel recognizes individuals “who have had a significant impact on promoting a positive public image and advocating public policy positions for the cable industry,” said the group.
Those who know Melton say she has delivered on that score her entire career. As Time Warner’s executive vice president for global public policy, she is its top lobbyist — domestically and internationally — and oversees offices in Washington, D.C.; London; Brussels; and Hong Kong.
“All of us at Time Warner rely on her counsel,” said president and CEO Jeff Bewkes. “Carol’s work in developing rational policy solutions is vital to Time Warner fulfilling its mission of delivering excellent journalism and entertainment to inform and entertain our global audience.”
Melton came by her wisdom the hard way — years of working in the trenches and learning the complexities of communications law one issue at a time. She arrived in Washington in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and a masters in journalism and communications from the University of Florida. Neither were enough.
“I had not planned to be a lawyer, but it didn’t take more than a month in this town to realize having a law degree was a good credential,” said Melton. “It was a challenge in the 1970s for a young woman who was ambitious and wanted to work.”
Nor was the law an unknown quantity. Melton’s father, Howell Melton, is a barrister and has served as a Florida state circuit judge for more than 30 years. He remains active on the bench at age 85.
Melton attended the Washington College of Law at American University, earned her J.D. and went to work for the Hogan & Hartson law firm in 1981. While there, she handled issues for clients before the Federal Communications Commission — and attended a lot of hearings.
While she was learning a great deal, the St. Augustine, Fla., native grew restless with the law-firm routine. “I felt I would like being in the business world,” Melton said. “I’m not a billable-hours fan.”
In 1983, Melton joined the NCTA as an assistant general counsel and spent three years there working closely with then-CEO Tom Wheeler. She had her first child, Matt, in 1986, but that didn’t stall her career. Melton was soon tapped to join the staff of the FCC’s then-Commissioner Mark Fowler as a legal advisor and handled cable, broadcast and mass media issues.
A year later, Warner Communications lured her away and Melton soon found herself helping to shepherd the mega merger of Warner and Time Inc. past Washington regulators. She enjoyed the challenge of representing a complex media company with multiple properties and that remains her strong suit, say admirers.
Melton moved on to Viacom in 1997 and again found herself providing counsel in another major merger when it purchased CBS in 1999 for $36 billion. After the deal was approved, her policy responsibilities included CBS, Paramount, MTV Networks, Showtime and Simon & Shuster.
Colleagues present and past laud Melton’s ability to manage an effective policy and lobbying shop while keeping company brass cognizant of important, but arcane, issues. “So much of what goes on down in Washington can be a mystery to a lay person,” said Carl Folta, executive vice president of communications at Viacom. “[Carol] had the ability to explain it to us in a way that made sense, and she gave us potential solutions” to problems.
Melton guided Viacom through the firestorm surrounding Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” during the 2004 Super Bowl. MTV produced the half-time show and CBS carried the event over its 227 affiliate stations.
“Carol handled that superbly,” said Folta. “It was really a no-win situation for everybody.”
The FCC eventually fined Viacom $550,000 and the company continues to appeal the penalty in court.
Melton rejoined Time Warner in June 2005 to run its lobbying operations. “I had been part of this company from the beginning,” she said. “I felt there was more for me to do here.”
That includes dealing with big issues like the digital transition and the challenge of putting copyrighted content online while preserving Time Warner’s ownership and the ability to make money from it. On a daily basis, Melton oversees the policy concerns of Time Warner Cable (which the company has announced it will soon sell), its distribution operations, Warner Brothers studio, America Online and Time Inc.
“I juggle all of these businesses and I try to ensure that each of the company’s divisions has flexibility from the policy arena to be able to make the business decisions it needs,” Melton said.
Melton’s management style is very hands on, said Time Warner lobbyist Gail MacKinnon, who has known her for more than 15 years and reported to Melton at Viacom. “But she promotes the people working for her,” she added. As well, “[Carol is] a master of positioning the policy office as an integral part of the company.”
Melton is also known for her direct assessments of company policy and current regulatory prospects. “She doesn’t spin or sugarcoat,” said Folta. “She tells you the way it is.”
The lobbyist is highly regarded in Washington and that’s no small reason for her success, say colleagues. “Carol has great relationships with elected officials, advocacy groups and industry leaders across the spectrum, because they trust her knowledge and judgment,” said Bewkes.
Melton and her husband enjoy traveling, and she’s a big reader. Her latest favorite book is The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry, by Kathleen Flinn, about the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. “I love the title,” Melton said — it concerns the best way to cut onions.
Melton is also a big believer in networking and feels it has served her well at critical junctures in her working life. “The bonds you form in your career are so important,” she told a group of women telecom executives in 2003. “Be nice to everyone, even in the elevator.”
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