Meet The Gatekeepers

A Guide to the Executives Who Hold the Keys to Pay TV Channel Lineups

By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 5/30/2011 12:01:00 AM

They are the executives who largely determine what Americans see on their TV screens — the programming gatekeepers at cable companies, satellite providers and telecom giants. They wield tremendous power. They can make or break a TV network.

These officials, many of them lawyers, are consistently described as smart and tough by the network affiliate- sales officials they negotiate deals with. Some are characterized as low-key and amiable, others as difficult and sometimes sarcastic. Some depend heavily on their teams, as they focus on big-picture strategy. Others demand to be hands-on to craft major agreements.


The players, and their relative clout and leverage, have changed over time. And during the past several years, there has been major turnover, a changing of the guard, in terms of the men and women who head up programming at distributor companies.

For example, Greg Rigdon has replaced Matt Bond at Comcast Cable Communications, with the title of executive vice president of content acquisition. Melinda Witmer has succeeded her famed and feared mentor, the late Fred Dressler, at Time Warner Cable. And David Shull took over as senior vice president of programming at Dish Network after Eric Sahl left the satellite provider.

Today, the two satellite-TV providers, DirecTV and Dish Network, are the second- and third-largest video providers, respectively. Th at means Derek Chang, DirecTV’s executive vice president of content strategy and development, can give a start-up service a platform that can ensure its survival. At Dish Network, Shull basically follows the corporate strategy as set by chairman Charlie Ergen: Keep costs down, even if it means dropping a service and forfeiting some subscribers in the process.

It used to be that Dish Network was the distributor making the most headlines in those kinds of disputes. But in the past several years Cablevision Systems, whose longtime programming chief is Mac Budill, has engaged in several high-profile, bitter confl icts with programmers and broadcasters in the New York metro market.

Rigdon’s duties include making sure that Comcast adheres to the commitments it made, in terms of the programming it launches and carries, as a condition for approval of Comcast’s purchase of NBCUniversal.

To get a sense of what it’s like to sit across the table from these key players, Multichannel News interviewed several current and former affiliate-sales executives at programming companies, whose names were withheld so that they might speak candidly without fear of repercussion.

Greg Rigdon
Executive vice president of content acquisition
Comcast Cable Communications
22.8 million subscribers

Greg Rigdon is king of content at the nation’s largest MSO, Comcast Cable Communications. He was named executive vice president of content acquisition in late 2010, succeeding Matt Bond, who moved to NBCUniversal.

On the job for less than half a year, Rigdon’s duties include ensuring his MSO complies with the conditions federal regulators set on Comcast’s NBCU acquisition. One example: Comcast committed to launching 10 new independent networks, and is now seeking proposals for the first three.

Comcast Cable president Neil Smit, Rigdon’s boss at AOL and Charter Communications, recruited him to Philadelphia. Through his stint at AOL, Rigdon acquired a background in the digital world likely to serve him well at Comcast.

His style and demeanor are a 180-degree change from Bond, several affiliate-sales chiefs said. While Bond was “laconic” and buttoned-down, Rigdon is “a little sarcastic, kind of hip … a funnier kind of easy-going kind of guy, but he’s plenty tough,” one veteran affiliate-sales executive said.

Under Bond, Jennifer Gaiski, senior VP of content acquisition, would typically handle operational issues and deal with programming officials in the field, making sure network commitments are fulfilled. Senior VP Alan Dannenbaum, who also is executive VP of satellite services, typically did the nuts-and-bolts negotiations on deals. It remains to be seen if that dynamic will continue.

Derek Chang
Executive vice president of content strategy and development
DirecTV
19.4 million subscribers

DirecTV is second only to Comcast among U.S. pay TV providers, which puts Derek Chang in a strong position when he sits across the negotiating table from programmers.

A veteran of Charter Communications and the YES Network, Chang’s background is deal-making and finance. He’s described as very smart, direct and no nonsense, with a bit of an edge.

“Derek’s tough,” one network affiliate-sales chief said. “You better have your ducks in a row when you go in there … He knows the type of business deal he needs to do and he’s not going to back off of that.”

DirecTV officials “know that they can make or break a channel, and they sort of speak softly and carry a big stick,” a second official said. While it will sometimes drop networks in disputes, DirecTV has not been as aggressive in that regard as Dish Network or Cablevision Systems. Chang understands “the danger of mutual disruption,” one network executive put it. DirecTV boasts it’s the best TV provider, and can’t risk alienating subscribers by altering its lineup.

Chang, who joined DirecTV in March 2006, is now involved in developing big-picture, longterm strategies for the satellite company. So he often defers to his team, which includes senior VP of program acquisition Dan Hartman, in nitty-gritty, routine contract talks. Chang “is not a guy who’s going to get knee-deep in the weeds,” a second affiliate-sales chief said.

David Shull
Senior vice president of programming
Dish Network
14.2 million subscribers

Dish Network’s reputation, or notoriety, for dropping cable networks and TV stations is known far and wide in the TV industry. That scorched-earth strategy comes straight from the top, meaning chairman Charlie Ergen. But David Shull, the satellite provider’s senior vice president of programming, is the executive charged with carrying out that mandate.
Shull has been with Dish Network since 2004, but spent much of his time in Asia, overseeing operations overseas. In late 2008, Dish brought Shull home to succeed Eric Sahl as programming chief.

The game plan for the No. 3 U.S. multichannel-video provider is to be the low-cost option. That said, Shull negotiates firmly and politely, laying out — without any histrionics — exactly what Dish Network will do if it doesn’t get the deal it wants.

“He’s a likable guy; he’s pretty easy-going,” said one affiliate-sales executive.

“He’s got to beat people up, but he doesn’t do it in a style that’s real aggressive or bombastic.”

Shull is described as smart and somewhat intellectual, a Harvard University graduate. He is still learning the ropes in terms of programming and depends on his team, which includes Carolyn Crawford, vice president of programming.

Dish Network will likely continue to take its licks, and risk losing subscribers, by kicking networks off its lineup in order to keep its costs in check, programming executives said.

Melinda Witmer
Executive vice president and chief programming officer
Time Warner Cable
12.3 million subscribers

Melinda Witmer was handpicked by legendary Time Warner Cable programming chief Fred Dressler in 2006 as his replacement. And she’s already succeeded in establishing her own reputation as a personable, but hardnosed, negotiator at the No 4 U.S. pay TV provider.

“I would call her one of the more engaging, personality-wise, in terms of some of the gatekeepers,” one affiliate-sales chief said. “She’s always very pleasant, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to give in on anything. She can also be very pleasant when she’s telling you that something’s never going to happen.”

This spring, Witmer and TWC made headlines when networks balked at being included as part of the MSO’s new iPad streaming-video app. TWC was bombarded with complaints and cease-and-desist warning letters from programmers.

Witmer, an attorney, claims she didn’t anticipate programmers “would be unhappy” about the iPad app. Skeptical network affiliate-sales officials say that Witmer must have expected pushback from programmers, although she may have underestimated exactly “what type of nerve this was going to press on,” the affiliate-sales chief said.

A second affiliate-sales executive added, “She tends to push the envelope, as she has now with the iPad.”

Under Witmer, TWC takes more of a team approach to negotiating than other MSOs, and she will have often have several lieutenants— such as VP of programming Andy Rosenberg — with her at meetings.

Bob Wilson
Senior vice president of programming
Cox Communications
4.9 million subscribers

Bob Wilson, a Cox Communications executive for more than three decades, has been the architect of its programming lineup for quite some time. In that span, he’s won the respect of the network affiliatesales chiefs who face him across the negotiating table.

Wilson joined Cox in 1979, moving up the corporate ladder to be named senior vice president of programming in 1997. He’s considered good natured, but “no pushover,” a tough-but-fair negotiator.

Low-profile and low-key, Wilson exemplifies the corporate culture of Cox and its president, Pat Esser.

“They all have that same kind of personality,” an affiliate-sales chief said. “They’re smart. They’re tough inside. They don’t do anything stupid.”

Wilson is perceived as a creative deal-maker willing to craft affiliation agreements that are win-win situations for both parties.

“Bob has a unique ability to deliver a difficult message and have it not sound like a difficult message,” said a second affiliate-sales executive.

Programmers universally laud the team Wilson has built and relies on, VPs of content acquisition Kathy Payne and Andy Albert.

“They don’t have to hit you over the head with a hammer,” said the second-affiliate sales official. “They’ll come up with several other creative solutions that will work for both parties. … He gets rewarded for that.”

With systems from Florida to California, Wilson pays attention to what his local general managers say they need. “If Vegas says they need a network, corporate won’t override that,” an affiliate-sales chief said.

Allan Singer
Senior vice president of programming
Charter Communications
4.2 million subscribers

Allan Singer did a brief stint on the other side of the negotiating table, as head of distribution for Oprah Winfrey’s cable network, but he was soon back on the MSO side of the business.

A veteran of Comcast and AT&T Broadband, Singer was named senior vice president of programming for Charter Communications in April. He came to Charter from OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, where he had served as executive vice president of distribution and strategy since November 2009.

At Comcast, Singer served in various positions. He signed on in 2003 as senior vice president for the MSO’s new programming-investments unit, reporting to Amy Banse. Several years later, Comcast SportsNet tapped Singer for the newly created position of senior vice president of sports business development.

Before joining OWN, Singer had served as senior vice president of content acquisition for Comcast Cable.

Singer won’t have any of the clout he had at Comcast, given that Charter is about onefifth of the size.

Described as very smart and “a jack of all trades” by one affiliate-sales chief, Singer is also known for sometimes getting passionate, heated and animated during negotiations.

“He may have a bit of Jedd Palmer in him,” another affiliate-sales veteran said, referring to the former head of programming at John Malone’s long-gone MSO, Tele-Communications Inc.

Terry Denson
Vice president of content and programming
Verizon Communications
3.7 million subscribers

Terry Denson had a herculean task when Verizon Communicatins hired him in 2004 to acquire content for the telco’s start-up video service, FiOS TV.

Denson, a Harvard University alumnus who earned his law degree from Georgetown University, had to quickly close carriage deals so that FiOS would have a presentable program lineup when it debuted.

“It’s a tough situation when you’re trying to build a channel lineup in the beginning and just had to get product up,” one affiliate-sales chief said.

Denson had the right background for the task. Earlier he had negotiated carriage agreements in affiliate sales at MTV Networks. Right before joining Verizon, he was VP of programming for Insight Communications.

Verizon promoted Denson to his current title in late 2008, expanding his duties to include broadband and Verizon Wireless.

Denson is considered low-key and smart. But to initially secure content for FiOS, which had no subscribers and therefore, no leverage, Denson had to pay top dollar — the top of rate cards — to programmers.

“He in the last year has been righting a lot of those wrongs with his renegotiations,” a second affiliate-sales official said. “That’s not an easy position to be in.”

Denson is trying to push harder, but at its current (though growing) size, FiOS is still without much leverage. He’s a built a strong team, though, which includes Bill Binford, director of content strategy and acquisition.

Mac Budill
Executive vice president of programming
Cablevision Systems
3.3 million subscribers

E. McRae (Mac) Budill has spent two decades at Cablevision Systems, which has increasingly been willing to mix it up with programmers — and to boot networks and TV stations from its lineup. In the past year or so, Cablevision has been in contract disputes that resulted in drops of properties owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, The Walt Disney Co. and Fox. Those battles were very public and very nasty.

It’s all in a day’s work for Budill, whose MSO is led by a very hands-on president and CEO, James Dolan.

Budill, an Ivy Leaguer who was an undergraduate at Yale University and got his MBA from the Harvard Business School, joined Cablevision in 1991 as program manager. He rose up the ranks to his current title while keeping a low, almost nonexistent, public profile. He really, if ever, talks to the press.

Cablevision isn’t the biggest MSO. But its system in the New York City market, with more than 3 million subscribers, is the largest cable cluster in the nation, reaching Wall Street and Madison Avenue. Network affiliate sales officials describe Budill as a direct, smart negotiator who can be brutally hard-nosed and tough.

And, as noted above, when push comes to shove in programming talks, networks know that the ultimate decisions come from the very top, especially at Cablevision.

“The Dolans, more than any other MSO, are very active in programming decisions,” one affiliate sales official pointed out.

Dan York
President of content
AT&T
3.2 million subscribers

Telco giant AT&T, like Verizon Communications, had to work hard to do deals and fill out the programming lineup for its fl edgling video service, AT&T U-verse. And Dan York was recruited for the task.

York, AT&T’s president of content, acquires programming for all of the telecom company’s platforms, namely TV, broadband and wireless. He joined AT&T in 2004.

York is “a very cool dude” who loves music and sports, and he’s blessed with a dry sense of humor, according to one affiliate-sales official. But the buzz on York is that he’s become less affable as of late and has “turned it up.” That’s because AT&T had to pay high rates to line up programming for AT&T U-verse. York is trying to rectify that as he renegotiates affiliation deals with programmers, but it’s tough going at U-verse’s current size (though it is on the rise).

“He’s starting to carry a bigger stick,” the affiliate-sales chief said. “I think he’s very frustrated trying to get MFNs (most-favored nation clauses, which protect against other distributors getting better terms) and trying to get fair treatment. So he’s kind of coming out swinging now, both in terms of his style across the table and in some cases following through with dropping channels.”

Before AT&T, York was senior VP of programming for In Demand Networks. Prior to that, York spent more than a dozen years at HBO, ending his stint there as vice president/general manager of Time Warner Sports/HBO PPV.

Frank Hughes
National Cable Television Cooperative
Senior vice president of programming

Jerry McKenna
Cable One
Senior vice president, chief sales and marketing officer

They don’t represent the largest MSOs, but these two executives are veteran programming gatekeepers who are respected and considered straight shooters by network affiliate-sales veterans.

Frank Hughes has been has been at the National Cable Television Cooperative since 1992, as senior vice president of programming. He joined the NCTC from HBO, and his job is to try to muster clout by doing carriage deals that offer up the co-op’s members as a group. NCTC members aren’t obligated to participate in a deal, which leaves Hughes without the big bargaining chip of being able to guarantee networks a firm number of subscribers.

Describing Hughes as “one of the most genuine guys in the business,” one affiliatesales chief said, “Frank understands what leverage he has and doesn’t have.”

Hughes is also credited with being a creative dealmaker, but no pushover.

“He can draw a line in the sand when he has to,” the affiliate-sales official said. “And he’ll walk away from deals if they don’t work for his members. And that’s what you want from someone at the co-op.”

The NCTC’s past chairman, Jerry McKenna, is senior vice president, chief sales and marketing officer at Cable One and past chair of the NCTC. Although his MSO only has 647,000 subscribers, McKenna is tough, negotiating like he’s one of the Top 3 cable operators.

“He gets good deals by standing firm, said the affiliate-sales chief. “He’s not afraid to make tough decisions on programming.”