Sykes Looks for a Room at the Top

MTV Networks veteran John Sykes is leaving his position as president of new content development to seek a CEO position at another company. Sykes, the former president of VH1 and ex-CEO of Infinity Broadcasting, talked to Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead about his legacy at MTVN and future plans.

MCN: Why did you decide to leave MTV Networks at this time?

John Sykes: It’s something that I asked to do. It wasn’t like it was a knee-jerk reaction — I love the company and I’ve enjoyed being part of building some great brands. The development projects I’ve been working on for the past two years was a great experience, but I really missed operating a business.

MCN: Did you get close to launching any new services to cable multiple-system operators like Comcast?

JS: Yes. As we were developing the concept everyone loved it, it tested great and we saw them as a natural fit for the MTV Networks. They were targeted to Gen X and baby boomers — a 35-plus audience who were raised by MTV and who were looking to live better lives. There was nothing wrong with the concept, but you make a decision on what you’re going to fund, and at this time we had some great brands that we wanted to build.

MCN: Given your experiences with these new services, do you think it’s possible to still launch cable networks today?

JS: This wasn’t us trying to launch a standalone cable network which, in this day and age, is very hard to do without [retransmission consent] and other leverage tools. These were not just cable entities; they were 360-degree brands that were Web, [video-on-demand], mobile and other platforms. Cable was only one spoke in the wheel. It wasn’t really the traditional magnitude of a cable-network launch.

MCN: Do you see yourself running a cable business in the future?

JS: I love to build brands. That’s what I’ve done here, being part of the team that started MTV and rebranded VH1 back in the early 1990s. What I love about this business is that it’s evolved now into a 360-degree entertainment business — it’s not just cable; it’s VOD, broadband, mobile, satellite radio — it’s really building multiplatform brands.

Cable brands that are surviving and growing today are into this already. So for me it’s exciting, because if I were to go back into the cable world it really would be getting into many new businesses.

MCN: What do you feel is your legacy at MTV?

JS: What I’m most proud of are the great people that I was able to work with and develop that have now gone on to NBC, ABC and Bravo. Also, the quality of programming that we’ve put on — I think shows like Behind the Music and Storytellers not only rated well, but they were quality programs.

Great brands are not only about the numbers, but also about serving your audience and giving them the best possible content. I think that’s something that I’ve been part of doing.