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Wednesday — April 28, 2010 Volume 21 / SPECIAL All Hail Our Best of the Web this year. What’s truly incredible is that AMCtv.com and CableFAXIES Honorees shines so brightly despite an extremely high bar of excellence set by so many other amazing cable net- We say this every year, but the entries for our “Best of work Websites. For fans, AMCtv.com is heaven: Show the Web” and CableFAXIES awards were beyond stellar. bibles posted, minisodes for big linear hits, innovative The level of creativity, innovation and expertise out there contests like “Mad Men Yourself.” The list of fan-friend- in the cable world is astounding. Enjoy! ly features goes on. In 2009, AMCtv.com saw a 130% Best of the Web increase in monthly uniques, a 50% jump in video When it comes to digital activities ranging from the Web to streams and a whopping 300% estimated rise in ad mobile applications and beyond, cable just keeps getting sales revenue. That’s success by any measure. AMC better. We hope the following rundown begins to explain is doing it right. why we consider these campaigns, executives and initia- Honorable Mentions tives among the best. Discovery Digital Media - Discovery.com

Best Ad/Series of Ads Video G4 - G4tv.com Winner Scripps Networks - HGTV.com Fancast - Comcast Interactive Media - Scripps Networks - FoodNetwork.com See It For Yourself Campaign With the start of the Fall TV season, Comcast’s Fancast set lofty goals, including getting 7.5mln monthly unique visitors Best Overall Websites: Cable by year-end. By the time we were singing “Auld Lang Syne,” Network - Small and Midsize Comcast had reached 11.3mln monthly uniques and ex- Winner ceeded other goals as well. Comcast went full throttle. And Current Media - Current.com in the end, the campaign created huge awareness for Fan- When 2 of Current’s news correspondents spent cast, which obviously faces tough competition these days months in a North Korean prison in 2009, it became from Hulu (We’ll have to see what happens after Comcast clear that this small but dogged network was willing to absorbs Hulu partner NBCU). Tactics included everything take risks and go the extra mile to get the story. And from traditional ads on TV to interactive bus shelter ads out- that focus on hard-nosed investigative journalism— doors to email marketing, one-click banner ads and social while fleeting on some other news networks—remains media. Commitment equals success, folks. It’s that simple. a mainstay of Current’s mission. Its Website continues Honorable Mention that tradition, letting users dive even deeper with ex- Turner Sports/NASCAR.COM - clusive content, social media integration and plenty of “Off the Track w/Tony Stewart” lighter activities such as video submission contests— even one that lets users create commercials for their favorite brands. Current’s online reach has increased Best Overall Websites: 20 fold in only the last 3 years. Considering Current’s Cable Network – Large commitment, that doesn’t surprise us. Winner Honorable Mention AMC - AMCtv.com Discovery Networks International - Put simply, AMC’s Website combines simple naviga- Discovery Kids Latin America tion, video-rich features, user interaction and a social media sensibility to catapult it to the top of our heap

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13 CableFAX Best of the Web Award Nominations

3 Digital Hot List Winners

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Congratulations

AMC • IFC • Sundance Channel • WE tv

and all of the CableFAX award honorees.

TM CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 3 CABLEFAX DAILY (ISSN 1069-6644) is published daily by Access Intelligence, LLC ● www.cablefaxdaily.com ● fax: 301.738.8453 ● Editor-in-Chief: Amy Maclean, 301.354.1760, [email protected] ● Exec Editor: Michael Grebb, 301.354.1790, [email protected] ● Assoc Editor: Chad Heiges, 301.354.1828, [email protected] ● Asst VP, Ed Director: Seth Arenstein, 301/354-1782, [email protected] ● Publisher: Debbie Vodenos, 301/354-1695, [email protected] ● Advertising Mgr: Erica Gottlieb, 212.621.4612 ● Marketing Director: Carol Brault, 301.354.1763, [email protected] ● Prod: Joann Fato, 301.354.1681, [email protected] ● Diane Schwartz/VP and Group Publisher ● Subs/Client Services: 301.354.2101, fax 301.309.3847 ● Group Subs: Carol Brault, 301.354.1763, [email protected] Best Overall Websites: Bourdain just goes off about random subjects that have Regional/Local Programmers nothing to do with any of that. It’s all part of Travel’s strategy to extend Bourdain’s brand beyond the screen, Winner employing a savvy mix of social networking tools to push Bay News 9 - Baynews9.com the blog to more than 250K views per month. Linking to With its Bay News 9 24-hour local TV news network Bourdain’s muses is everyone from niche food bloggers in the Tampa Bay area, Bright House Networks has to larger media outlets like New York magazine. demonstrated first hand how to run a first-rate news Honorable Mentions operation that competes handily with local broadcasters. AMC - “Mad Men” Blog And with the evolution of Baynews9.com, the MSO has also shown that cable can create an equally compelling Motorola - Motorola MediaExperiences2Go Blog online presence around local or regional programming. It’s hard to muster anything but praise for this excellent Corporate Social Responsibility/ site. Its recent integration of social media and other fea- Education tures allowing customization and a high degree of user Winner interaction makes this an exemplary site for any cable Discovery Communications Planet Green - operator looking to solidify its local presence. Planet Green Blue August Campaign Honorable Mention When Discovery sets its mind on something, it doesn’t YES Network - YESNetwork.com mess around—and that certainly was the case with Planet Green’s “Blue August” campaign, which fused grassroots Best Overall Websites: activism with multiplatform marketing power to create an Technology & Other Vendors impressive initiative to raise awareness of the plight of our ocean and water resources. What Planet Green describes Winner as a “true 360-degree content initiative” included short- Eclipse Marketing Services, Inc. - Eclipse Marketing form content with Phillippe and Alexandra Cousteau, the Services, Inc. Website Re-Design premiere of the “Blue Planet” series, integration with its Direct marketer Eclipse Marketing Services wanted to TreeHugger.com property, and even coordination with the strengthen its brand to the cable and entertainment in- United Nations Environment Programme. The initiative led dustry community—so it set out to create a user-friendly, to Planet Green’s highest rated month since its launch and B2B site that would set it apart in the marketplace. The coverage in dozens of major media outlets. result was a well-designed and visually intriguing site that’s easy to navigate and focused wholly on its specific Honorable Mention audience. The results speak for themselves: Eclipse got Comcast and Discovery Education - roughly 50% more “Contact Us” requests than before Discovery Education on Demand by Comcast the redesign, which by the way was done on the cheap entirely by staff members. Kudos. Email Newsletters Honorable Mentions Winner ActiveVideo Networks - Launching Cloud TV WEtv and Wedding Central - Metaswitch Networks - Metaswitch Networks WEtv.com’s WETreat Newsletter Sometimes simplicity works. And sometimes, it comes Blog or Series of Blogs down to knowing your audience. In both cases, WE tv found much success with WE Treat, its bi-weekly email Winner newsletter that combines timely topics, useful tips, reci- Travel Channel - Anthony Bourdain’s Blog pes, videos, quizzes, info on pets... you name it. And it’s If you thought quirky foodie Anthony Bourdain was all smartly targeted to its loyal following of women 18-49. entertaining on television, check out his blog. It’s often Started in Apr 2009, the newsletter’s readership has packed full of entertaining anecdotes and relevant info grown to well over 300K registered users, with more than for the traveling food addict. And every now and then, 12mln total emails sent. The open rate tracks at 12%, CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 4 compared to the 8% average for other sites. Yep. Email PBS KIDS Sprout - Dress Chica Mobile Application may seem so 1990s, but it works. And WE tv deserves Travel Channel - Travel Channel GO credit for connecting with its audience. Honorable Mention Online Community Turner Sports/NBA Digital - Winner NBA Daily Playoffs Newsletter Ovation Artist Community - www.ovationTV.com/community Games Bringing together artists is never easy because they are Winner such a diverse bunch. But Ovation has found a way to A&E Television Network - The 5 Lives of Criss Angel do it by emphasizing their common interest in preserv- Augmented Reality Experience/A&E ing the arts itself. As part of the effort, Ovation launched For our money, few online games are as creepy as the the “MY ART” contest, which invites both established ones A&E devises around its magic man Criss Angel, and aspiring artists to showcase their art on Ovation’s whose freaky, mind-bending illusions always create plenty Website. At year-end, one lucky artist gets a 1-min spot of water cooler conversation. In Aug 2009, A&E outdid itself on Ovation TV as well as a gallery showing in their local with its “5 Lives” mini-site, which gave fans several ways market. It’s a nice integration between the Web and TV, to either kill or save a virtual Criss in some kind of danger. and it also fulfills Ovation’s overall mission to serve as One amazing game involved printing out a piece of paper an advocate for the arts in general. So far, more than 9K with the Criss Angel logo on it, and then using the com- members have uploaded 100K pieces of art, with traffic puter’s webcam to actually play the game. The intent was to jumping 145% in the first years (page views were up promote Season 5 of “Mindfreak,” and made the site one of 311%). In 2010, the net plans to expand the effort with A&E’s top premiere-focused sites in recent years. more on-air integration and on-the-ground events for lo- Honorable Mentions cal artists. A standing Ovation is in order. A&E Television Network - Kill Criss Angel - The Game/ Honorable Mentions A&E Television Network RAPP/Travel Channel - Hungry for More Discovery Networks International - Helium 3 Turner Sports - NASCAR.COM Community SPEED - SPEED Fantasy Bid WEtv and Wedding Central - WEtv.com’s “The Locator”

Mobile Application Original Content Winner Winners The Weather Channel Interactive - Discovery Communications Planet Green - The Weather Channel Interactive iPhone Application Planet Green Short Form Program When it comes to iPhone apps, The Weather Channel’s For some cable networks, putting short-form program- multi-functional yet user-friendly addition is among the ming online amounts to promo reels for their linear shows, most useful for people who just want to find out what’s not exactly the most exciting and innovative use of the going on with the weather. But the app doesn’t just stop medium. But Planet Green takes the view that short-form there (as does Apple’s native weather app). In fact, this content should be as compelling as long-form and stand isn’t just the weather; it’s weather immersion—complete on its own 2 feet. With modest budgets, the net created 6 with interactive radar maps (you can add radar and original short-form series ranging from “Organic A to Z,” cloud layers to a local map and even store relevant loca- in which chef Gregory Schaefer cooks his way through tions with customized names to check the weather on the world of organic food, to “My Place,” which follows a the fly). And the weather advisory function adds a vital woman trying to lead a greener life. With new online short- safety component. With more than 6mln downloads to form series launching in 2010, Planet Green continues to date, this is one awesome app. Check it out. exploit the power of the Web to extend its brand. Honorable Mentions ESPN - “Mayne Street” AMC - AMC iPhone App It’s hard to resist ESPN personality Kenny Mayne, and Discovery Communications - if you tried, he would simply stare you down until you Discovery Channel iPhone App acknowledged his quirky sense of humor. There’s just something about this guy and his dry delivery that make Turner Sports/NBA Digital - NBA Game Time him perfectly suited for the Webisode universe where CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 5 he roams as royalty. His fictionalized “real-life” vignettes Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV, to investigate reported dubbed “Mayne Street” are always fun and sometimes paranormal activity on Oct 30—just in time for Halloween. downright hilarious. The videos revolve around Mayne The audience at home could interact via video chat with and his fictional production crew, who are stuck dealing the hosts and producers as the investigation progressed with his intolerable behavior and mishaps. Just go online and even track every corner of the Asylum through web- and watch them. You won’t be sorry. cams positioned around property. The event drew 250K Honorable Mentions unique visitors, 69K simultaneous webcam viewers and BET Networks - “Buppies” 2.3mln page views. And get this: time spent per visit was 20 min. Scary! In a good way... ESPN - 30 for 30 Website Honorable Mentions Scripps Networks - AMC - “Mad Men” Website FrontDoor.com’s First-Time Homebuyer’s Guide AMC - AMC’s Summakor.com - Univision Interactive Media - Vidas Cruzadas Supplemental Web Content Social Media Campaign Discovery Communications - Discovery News National Geographic Channel - Winner Expedition Week Website Discovery Channel - FrenziedWaters Talk about pressure. Discovery’s famous “Shark Week” WWE - SummerSlam Microsite franchise just finished its 22nd year, so the company’s crack marketers must continually come up with new ways Use of Twitter to market this often creepy but always compelling ode to Winner our man-eating comrades of the sea. In 2009, the theme E! - Celebri-Tweet was psychological fear and anxiety (fun!), so Discovery So many celebrity tweets. So little time to waste on walked the line as it invoked fear without veering into them. We’re being facetious, of course. Celebrity tweets blood-curdling horror. The net hit bloggers, along with oth- are our window into the sordid lives of those club-hop- er traditional media, and posted 2K tweets with a reach ping, Rodeo-Drive-shopping stars who, unlike us, never of 2.2mln followers and 4.4mln impressions. Tweets from seem to endure a dull moment. Launched in May 2009, high-profile celebs included Drew Barrymore, Elizabeth E!’s Celebri-Tweet consolidates the best celebrity tweets Banks and Rainn Wilson. The www.frenziedwaters.com into one feed with a handy widget at E! Online. And the site also included massive Facebook integration, with net also holds celebrity Twitter parties where fans can nearly 20mln impressions and an average time on site of virtually interact with their favorite stars in real-time via more than 3 minutes per user. Fear sells? Guess so. Twitter. One Twitter party with the Kardashians to pro- Honorable Mentions mote the premiere of “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami” AMC - “Mad Men Yourself” averaged 1 tweet per second and ranked #1 among Bravo - Twitter trending. Celebri-Tweet has helped E! Online Ultimate Virtual Viewing Party/Bravo Digital Media grow its average views by 57% year-over-year. CBS College Sports Network - Honorable Mentions POWERADE College Intramurals Program Fuse - Twt-a-palooza/Fuze Motorola (DesignKitchen) - National Geographic Channel - Share the Experience Microsite/Social Media Campaign On Board Air Force One Twitter Campaign RAPP/Travel Channel - Kidnap! on Facebook Travel Channel - Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food,” Social Media/Room 214 Supplemental Web Content Video: Overall Use of Video Winner Travel Channel - “Ghost Adventures” Live Winner For years, cable networks have tried to figure how to or- AMC - AMCtv.com ganically marry the excitement of a live TV event with the AMC’s AMCtv.com has taken video to the next level. It interactive elements of the Internet. But Travel Channel rightly describes its online video strategy as “a DVD- may just have found a sweet spot with its “Ghost Adven- like video extension of AMC’s original programs.” Amaz- tures” franchise and its live event at the Trans-Allegheny ingly, viewers can access new clues, writers’ insights CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 6 and video sneak peeks into next week’s episode only Web Page/Section Design 60 seconds after the linear show airs! And that’s not Winner all: When AMC was building buzz for its mini-series National Geographic Channel - remake “The Prisoner,” it streamed the entire 1960s Waking the Baby Mammoth Interactive original series on its site. And it put a dedicated mul- What could be more cool than a 3D computer model of timedia producer on location in South Africa to bring a baby mammoth that Internet users could manipulate video exclusives to the Web audience. And who could and explore? Well, maybe there are cooler things. But resist all the behind-the-scenes footage on “Mad Men” still... We found this pretty darned awesome! NatGeo and “Breaking Bad”? This stuff works: In 2009, AMCtv. touts high traffic numbers from the interactive platform, com traffic was up more than 50%. with some 50K page views and an average of 5.75 Honorable Mentions minutes spent on the site. The entire Baby Mammoth Discovery Digital Media - Discovery Digital Media site actually ended up with well over 1mln page views GSN.com - GSN’s Newlywed Question of the Day to boot. Meanwhile, strong linear ratings followed for the Turner Sports/NBA Digital - LEAGUE PASS Broadband Baby Mammoth special that spurred the promo site, av- eraging 1.66mln viewers and a 114% rise from NatGeo’s Travel Channel - “Ghost Adventures” Live previous 6-week time period. Honorable Mention Web Marketing Campaign Buckeye Cable System - Winners Buckeye Cable System Football Central Buckeye Cable System - Buckeye Cable System Cash Code Investigation Sweepstakes With tough competition on all sides—especially from Website Design well-funded satellite firms—smaller operators must run Winner smart marketing campaigns that feature plenty of elbow World Wrestling Entertainment - grease. Buckeye did just that when it partnered with “SummerSlam 2009” Micro Site sister company The Toledo Blade newspaper to run a 25- Leave it to WWE to wow us with its attention to detail week Web-based contest that gave customers a chance and willingness to soar to new promotional heights— to win $100K. Of more than 7K contestants, something whether the world it’s creating is real or “virtual.” In this north of 1K expressed an interest in subscribing to Buck- case, WWE created a stellar microsite that it posted only eye or The Toledo Blade, and follow-up led to a 2% con- 3 weeks in advance of its 2009 SummerSlam pay-per- version rate on those prospects and exceeded Buckeye’s view event. Buzz was palpable, with WWE’s 2nd highest goal by 50%. Meanwhile, Buckeye lost fewer than 1% of number of page views for one of its microsites in 2009. its subs to AT&T’s U-Verse during the contest. And wow, did the site look good! So good, in fact, it Oxygen Media - “Dance Your Ass Off” almost felt alive. It breathed excitement. And not only did Oxygen worked off its bum to create an impressive the site sport an edgy and modern feel, but the naviga- online promotion for its “Dance Your Ass Off” premiere, tion never detracted from the overall graphic style. Virtual pulling out all the online stops to make sure this two-step event tickets represented tabs that led users exactly led to a successful launch. It worked. Oxygen blanketed where they needed to go and always remained artisti- the Web with awareness-fetching takeovers of popular cally connected to site design. This isn’t easy to pull off. sites, created a custom YouTube channel, urged people And few have done it this well. Bravo, WWE. to submit dance videos for a chance to win a trip to Honorable Mentions Universal Orlando resort (288 people entered) and even National Geographic Channel - Human Family Tree hosted a 5-city “Dance Your Ass Off” mobile tour. The PBS KIDS Sprout - Sprout Online Website Design show became Oxygen’s biggest-ever premiere and most Turner Sports - NASCAR.COM watched freshman season for 18-49s. Whew. Dancing’s tough. Need some Oxygen. Univision Interactive Media – Cocina Honorable Mentions Acento Advertising/Time Warner Cable - Fall Interactive Campaign Outdoor Channel - Spring Fever CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 7 Best of the Web People Awards 80%. We’re up on Macey. YES Network - Web Content Director - Kevin Sulli- Blogger/Tweeter van, YESNetwork.com Oversaw a huge site redesign in Mar 2009, making an Winner already fabulous site even better. Traffic is up 300%, with AMC - Blogger - John Scalzi 17mln message board views. And this is a regional site? We have to admit that AMC is gaining a lot of recognition in this year’s Best of the Web awards, but the truth is that the net is really firing on all cylinders when it comes to its Video Editor/Producer online efforts. That’s certainly true of blogger and novelist Winner John Scalzi, whose insightful and often very funny sci-fi- YES Network - Video Editor/Producer focused posts speak for themselves. In one blog, he pon- Joe Auriemma, YESNetwork.com ders why R2-D2 has jets to fly but no voice synthesizer Talk about a jack of many trades, Joe Auriemma not only to talk. Darn good question. The interesting thing about produces all the video at YESNetwork.com (and it’s a Scalzi’s blog is that it’s not simply a promo tool for AMC. lot), but he also writes for the site as well. His video work It’s just an entertaining blog that draws fans to the site and is impressive, with recurring segments like “Post Game helps bolster brand awareness. That’s the essence of a Plus” offering highlights, interviews and analysis after good blog and a measured, respectful corporate strategy. each Yankees and Nets game; “SportsLife NYC” about Honorable Mentions “under the radar” local sports stories; and “Yankees ACA - Ross Lieberman - @ROSSatACA Rumor Mill,” which keeps fans up on Yankees intrigue His tweets speak to indie operators nationwide—in 140 during the off-season. Meanwhile, he also produced characters or less. And the posts are always insightful hundreds of one-off videos per year, including Yankee and relevant. We follow him. Do you? interviews and Spring Training segments. He even works Zatz Not Funny - Zatz Not Funny blog - both in front and behind the camera, and edits much of David Zatz and team the content himself. OK. We’re impressed. Really. This intriguing blog dissects the connected home but Honorable Mention isn’t afraid to post a funny YouTube video or review an Mary Novak, AMC Video Editor/Producer - AMC interesting gadget. Always a good read. Like “Inside Mad Men” and “Inside Breaking Bad”? Thank Novak, who creates those and other gems at AM- Web Content Director Ctv.com. Incredible site. And Novak helps make it sing. Winner Digital Hot List Drew Pisarra, AMC Content Director - AMC We’ve praised AMC for its online effort in other cat- Class of 2010 egories, and now it’s time to give credit where credit is Each year, we select an elite group of digital executives due. Drew Pisarra’s leadership in strengthening AMC’s who possess a unique mix of creativity, innovation and on-air brand online deserves recognition on many levels. influence, and help to shape the cable industry’s digital And his ability to do such a stellar job overseeing mas- future. The following list represents some of the best and sive amounts of content is amazing, not least of which brightest in cable’s digital realm. because he must cater to both die-hard fans and curi- Amy Banse ous prospects who have yet to discover AMC’s well of President, Comcast Interactive Media critically acclaimed shows. Meanwhile, Pisarra’s editorial The point person at Comcast for Fancast and many multi- oversight has helped AMC’s blogs land on several an- platform efforts. And one of the smartest people in cable. nual “Best Of” lists for PC Magazine. Many impressive Christopher Barry candidates submitted in this category, but the scope SVP Digital Media & Business Strategy of Pisarra’s job and his deft management of its many Sundance Channel details put him over the top this year. He has awards galore. But uniques and video views keep Honorable Mentions going up, up, up. We think he deserves another nod. Andrea Macey, Director of Multiplatform Content Derek Cheng WEtv and Wedding Central EVP Digital Media, Disney/ABC In 2009: Uniques up 34%, page views up 47%. Video A powerhouse name in cable’s digital arena. Mentored streams up 40%. She also oversees VOD, which is up by Bob Iger himself, Cheng continues to impress far and CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 8 wide both within and outside the cable universe. Mac McKean Greg Clayman VP, Digital Media, AMC EVP Digital Distribution & Business Dev, MTVN He’s behind “The Mad Men Avatar,” “The Prisoner Virtual The digital and mobile content guru. With big iPhone Graphic Novel” and “Breaking Bad Webisodes.” Another apps and the co’s WAP traffic at an all-time high, there’s asset in AMC’s impressive slate of digital gurus. no telling what Clayman will think of next. John Najarian Steven Copertino EVP Digital Media & Business Development Sr Director Digital Marketing, Time Warner Cable Comcast Entertainment Group He oversees digital strategy from e-commerce to online Heads all digital production and creates digital products advertising and Web analytics. A vital asset. across platforms. A big part of E! and G4TV’s online success. Rebecca Glashow SVP Digital Distribution, Discovery Communications Jean-Briac Perrette Discovery’s expert on all things digital when it comes to President Digital Distribution, NBCU affiliate needs and beyond. Bill Goodwyn’s right hand on A big man on the NBCU campus. Intregal to the digital digital matters. And a great person to boot. Olympics strategy. We’re betting he’ll continue to be a key exec after Comcast takes over. Scott Hatfield SVP Technology, Cox Communications Damon Phillips An integral member of Cox’s team as it continues to cre- VP, ESPN3.com ate a seamless technology platform. He knows his stuff. A sports enthusiast bringing his passion to newly re- named ESPN3.com—and loving every minute of it. Rob Hayes SVP/GM Digital Media, Showtime Jennifer Robertson Bagged one Emmy for cross-platform storytelling and SVP Digital Media & Business Development still going strong. An asset to the stellar Showtime team WE tv / Wedding Central and one of the reasons the net keeps getting better. Digital know-how and a consumer marketing back- ground are a powerful combination for this vital exec. Jason Kilar CEO, Hulu Mike Rosen No one needs to ask why. Hulu’s a phenomenon, and President/SMV MediaVest, General Motors Kilar is largely responsible for its runaway success. We MediaVest’s GM man. With the car maker starting to can’t wait to see how the Comcast-NBCU deal changes get its books in order, we bet Rosen’s star will rise even the game. higher in 2010. Marc Klatzko Neal Scarbrough Managing Partner, MAUDE NY VP, Digital Media, VERSUS Works with everyone from MTV to Miramax. If multiplat- Versus continues to make digital strides, and this is the form ads are on the wish list, this guy should be in your guy making it all happen. A hot name getting hotter. Rolodex. Michael Spirito Suzanne Kolb VP, Business Development and Digital Media President, Marketing, News and Online, E! and Style YES Network Digital is only a part of this marketing guru’s slate of du- The guy behind the big Yankees-Cablevision online ties. But she does it well. Numbers up all over the place. streaming deal and much more. Get in the Spirito! John Kosner Doug Stevenson SVP/GM Digital Media, ESPN CEO, Vibrant Media ESPN’s digital guy and one of the big trendsetters out A lot of buzz out there about Vibrant’s “contextual” online there for multiplatform strategy and products. Want to ads. And Stevenson’s the one keeping things so “vibrant.” know what’s next? Ask John. Ritu Trivedi Peter Levinsohn Managing Director, Mindshare President, Fox Interactive Media Drove the much-praised Unilever/Dove partnership with A powerful force driving Fox’s digital strategy, which con- Discovery. A connected and knowledgeable force. tinues to gain steam year after year. CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 9 The CableFAXIES The net pulled out all the stops. Innovative online One of our oldest awards programs, the CableFAXIES marketing. A 3D billboard on Sunset in L.A. (featuring recognizes cable’s best marketers and PR profession- 5 massive coffins). “Funeral procession” street teams als, whose tireless advocacy for the industry and its handing out Angel obituaries. Very creative. And effec- many initiatives and products helps keep it strong amid tive. a shaky economy. Each category below represents spe- WE tv - Bridezillas - Season 6 cific types of campaigns and executives we feel deserve “Bridezillas” is just one of those phenomena that hits a recognition. sweet spot within the female audience: A natural inter- est in weddings and all the chaos surrounding them Marketing & PR Program Awards and, of course, the inevitable breakdowns experienced by their harried brides. For season 6, WE tv used hu- mor to great effect, juxtaposing Nat King Cole’s “Un- Advertising Campaign forgettable” over scenes of bride-fueled mayhem in its for a Network various concept spots to promote the new season (One Winner even ran on the Madison Square Garden jumbotron). FEARnet - FEARnet Rebrand The net also created online viral apps, and partnered FEARnet rebranded itself in the fall for the first time with GSN and Clearview Cinemas to increase the since is 2006 launch—always a risky and difficult pros- promo punch. The result: HH ratings were up 5% over pect for any network, especially one that relies wholly last season, and season 6 became the highest rated on VOD, mobile and online platforms. The goal: Appeal ever. to a more mainstream audience (ie, beyond traditional Honorable Mentions horror fans) and by extension major advertisers and af- A&E Television - “Steven Seagal Lawman” filiates. It launched a new look at geek hipster conven- Big Ten Network - The Big Ten Quad tion Comic-Con with a blood-splat logo and plenty of social media integration to follow. The campaign built to WE tv - “My Fair Wedding” with David Tutera a crescendo as the net inserted on-air branded bugs, lower thirds and bumpers, all designed to reinforce its Community Relations new brand message. The result was a well-executed Winners campaign that largely transformed FEARnet from a A&E Television - The Recovery Project horror destination to a movie hub, albeit one specializ- Inspired by its Emmy-winning series about addic- ing in fear. It’s a fine line but one that FEARnet walked tive behavior “Intervention,” A&E created an outreach well. program to raise awareness that addiction is a treat- Honorable Mentions able disease and recovery is possible. Some 22mln CBS College Sports Network Americans struggle with addiction, yet fewer than 10% Outdoor Channel - Don’t be Fooled by a Decoy receive treatment. A&E attacked that gap with PSA, online assets and local events, but also staged a rally Sportsman Channel - where more than 10K people—many were addicts and Sportsman Channel 2009 Rebranding Campaign family members—crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, raising truTV awareness and creating a human bridge of recovery. The net, cable affiliates and the Partnership for a Drug- Advertising Campaign for Free America still hold Town Halls across the country, a Single Program bringing together health professionals, educators, ad- dicts, teens and parents. Winners A&E Television - Criss Angel Season 5 Honorable Mentions A&E set out to hit all consumer touch points as it plot- Comcast - Michigan Mobility & Accessibility Partner- ted its advertising strategy for season 5 of its popular ship “Criss Angel Mindfreak” series. One challenge: Season Mediacom - 5 consisted of 5 specials rather than the usual 13 eps, Mediacom Presents The Haven Pet Adoption Series so A&E worked hard to position it as a 5-week televi- RCN Corporation - RCN Dream Come True Telethon sion event—albeit one in which Angel would constantly face supposed doom through his death-defying stunts. CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 10 Corporate Social Responsibility/ Integrated Marketing Campaign – Green Campaign Distributors Winner Winner ESPN - Team ESPN 30k Challenge Time Warner Cable Los Angeles - One of ESPN’s great corporate virtues is that its top DTV Marketing Campaign executives really encourage employees to get involved Time Warner’s comprehensive transition campaign and contribute to their communities. So to commemo- filled a void in the confusion leading up to the digital rate ESPN’s 30th anniversary, the company launched transition—proving that education really does lead to an initiative to increase employee participation in rewards. By targeting Hispanic and bilingual markets volunteer activities and log up to 30K hours of total with straightforward ads and Q&A sessions held in service. Internal promo included a “Sports Barometer” English and Spanish, the campaign generated off the to measure progress and plenty of other team-building chart results. In the first phase, the English DTV Basic activities to keep everyone motivated. Guess what? Broadcast spot generated an increase of 2K calls in ESPN well exceeded its goal with 35K hours logged one week, the Spanish spot led to 4K calls. Educa- in, and more employees now volunteer on a regular tional events—which made DTV seem as easy as 1, basis. In this economy, it’s nice to see a net celebrate a 2, 3—held in Dearden’s and Walmart saw cable and milestone not with a big, expensive party... but by just Internet sales increasing up to 120% from the month giving back. prior. Honorable Mentions Honorable Mentions Canoe Ventures - Canoe Ventures Introduces the Next Charter Communications - Generation of TV Advertising Charter Communicating Commitment Campaign Comcast - Stand Up 2 Cancer On Demand Partnership Comcast - Comcast Local Heroes

Cox Communications - Cox Conserves Heroes Cox Business - Mediacom - Mediacom EcoBilling 2009 Campaign 2 COX Business Acquisition

Direct Response Marketing Integrated Marketing Campaign – Winner Networks Charter Communications - Winner High-Speed Internet Campaign WE tv - WEtv 2009/2010 Upfront Materials and Trade Speed kills when it comes to highway driving, but it’s Campaign critical to traversing the information superhighway. That How do you catch the eye of advertisers and show was the thinking behind Charter’s campaign to get DSL that your viewers are tech-savvy? Build your own app? users to switch to Charter high-speed Internet. From The slick B2B “WEdget,” the first in the cable industry, clever TV spots that “zap” Internet directly into custom- was not only easy to use, but useful. Features included ers’ homes to expert use of social media tailored to industry news, an advertising calculator and, of course, audiences with hi-tech giveaways—instant gratifica- the latest in programming updates. This strategy of tion has never seemed so attainable. No surprise the placing a treasure trove of well-designed, customized high-speed campaign reached stratospheric heights. In information in advertisers’ hands worked: WE tv Ad target markets St. Louis, MO, and Greenville, NC, the Sales acquired 82 new advertising clients during the RGU average lifted 23% for Internet during campaign upfront, yielding a 20% increase in upfront revenue. It’s time and 10% for overall package (Cable, Internet and not easy to differentiate oneself during the busy and Phone). Strong numbers continuing into the following 3 competitive upfront season. But it’s possible when a weeks signaled that Charter’s strategy hit the mark. great team puts their heads together. Honorable Mentions Honorable Mentions Comcast - Welcome Back Campaign A&E Television - “Steven Seagal Lawman” Cox Business - Cartoon Network - Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins 2009 COX Business Acquisition TV - “Furniture” Tennis Channel - 2009 US Open on Tennis Channel - Cox Business - Consumer Campaign Cox Business Metro Ethernet Sales Promotion CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 11 Marketing Campaign Marketing of Winner a New Series or Show IFC - Winner “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (the Lawyers Cut)” TBS - “Lopez Tonight” on TBS And now for something completely different... Yes, it’s Conan may be on the way to TBS, but “Lopez Tonight” IFC that brought together one of the most globally was already surpassing its goals—perhaps part of the recognized and successful comedy troupes of all time. reason Lopez was willing to move to midnight to make And we’re all quite impressed down here, we can tell room for CoCo at 11pm. Team Lopez used extremely you. OK... Enough with the Python references. The real creative cross-platform promotions to build its tune-in truth is that IFC did a wonderful job to market this in- for the show’s premiere in 2009. And the innovative credible documentary in which surviving Python mem- marketing strategies and tactics could even be consid- bers retell the story of their legendary rise. Billboards, ered “best practices” in a multiplatform environment. painted murals, a Web marketing onslaught at targeted The bottom line: TBS’ excellent early marketing efforts sites, on-air spots all over cable... and, of course, a big will make it all the more easy to integrate Conan and reunion event in NYC that garnered lots of press and keep Lopez hot. attention. Well done. Its press strategy also generated Honorable Mentions many positive reviews of this iconic group of comedy A&E Television - “Steven Seagal Lawman” geniuses. Nigh! OK, we’re done now. Animal Planet - “Jockeys” Season One Campaign Honorable Mentions BayNews 9/Brighthouse Networks - Klystron 9 Marketing: Launch Campaign Marketing of Comcast - Comcast Local Heroes A Special or Documentary/ Documentary Series Comcast Interactive Media - Fancast - See it for Yourself Winner Sundance Channel - “Brick City” FEARnet - “Fear Clinic,” a FEARnet original series “ As Sundance puts it, the idea behind promoting its Oxygen Media - “Dance Your Ass Off” “Brick City” documentary series about Newark local poli- tics was to make some “noise” to raise awareness of the Marketing of 5-night event. To do so, the net highlighted series “star” a Continuing Series Newark Mayor Corey Booker with social media initia- tives, star-studded screenings, a mini-site featuring actor Winner and exec producer Forest Whitaker, branded taxi tops Bravo/NBCU - “Top Chef: The Tour 2” and subway posters and local TV ads in the NY tri-state Coordinating a 21-city promo tour ain’t easy—even if and DC areas. The series has since won acclaim from Bravo makes it look that way. In fact, its biggest chal- the NAACP, garnered healthy amounts of press and lenge was making it even bigger and more interactive seen strong VOD and digital traffic. The success of the than the 1st tour. Affiliate perks abounded, including show led Sundance to announce a 2nd season for 2011. meet-and-greets with on-air talent and even private cooking demos (Each city also got 3 public demos for Honorable Mentions fans). The tour garnered 6K impressions per day of IFC - “Bollywood Hero” each stop, with sold-out venues and often wait-listed IFC - “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (the Lawyers Cut)” fans camping out for the chance to get into a cook- Retirement Living - RLTV “Not Fade Away” ing demo. Affiliates raved about the tour, with plenty of press coverage, including coverage on the local TV news. Bravo made it look easy. We know it wasn’t. Just Media Event like cooking. Winner ESPN - ESPN’s 2009 Upfront Event Honorable Mentions Upfronts are tough. You have to keep advertisers en- A&E Television - “The Cleaner” Season 2 gaged while highlighting your best shows and talent— BBC America - “Torchwood: Children of Earth” all within a short time window lest anyone become rest- WE tv - “Bridezillas” - Season 6 less. Few do it as well as ESPN, whose 2009 Upfront took an even more novel approach by structuring the CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 12 event itself as if it were a series of shows on ESPN. Multicultural Marketing – The net ran the entire event as if it was an episode of Distributors its popular “SportsCenter,” squeezing an enormous amount of “news” into a tight one-hour slot. The format, Winner in which execs and on-air talent mixed it up on the Comcast Cable - stage, was a hit with advertisers and led ESPN to ex- Comcast Carefree Minutes Worldwide 300 ceed its own internal sales goals and outperform many When Comcast launched its “Carefree Minutes World- other nets. They. Could. Go... yeah, we’ll stop. wide 300” international voice calling plan in Apr 2009, the company took on a mammoth task: Target 13 Honorable Mentions different ethnic groups in major U.S. markets with a CMT - 2009 CMT Music Awards Red Carpet culturally relevant multimedia initiative. Despite the IFC - “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (the Lawyers Cut)” challenge, Comcast pulled it off, smartly integrating an USA Network - Character Project “International Postcard Stamp” theme that resonated across cultures accustomed to sending postcards to Media Relations Campaign relatives and friends outside the U.S. In addition, Com- cast used culturally relevant images and other smart Winner tactics to reach its audience, resulting in a campaign IFC - Monty Python: that exceeded internal goals by 40% within the first 90 Almost the Truth (the Lawyers Cut) days of launch. Acquisition costs were only $12.42 per Reunite the original living members of Monty Python? sub. Nice. What a coup, and IFC was just the cable net with the promotional chops to generate media interest. IFC Honorable Mentions smartly and effectively focused its campaign on the cul- Charter Communications/cruz/kravetz:IDEAS - tural significance of this legendary comedy troupe. That Paquete Alcance Mas (Bundle and Save with Charter) strategy enabled a red-carpet gala and reunion of Monty Comcast Cable - Channel One Russia Launch Python membership to commemorate the troupe’s 40th RCN Corporation - RCN Global Passport Program anniversary, reinvigorating interest in Monty and ulti- Time Warner Cable Los Angeles - mately driving buzz about the feature. When dabbling DTV Marketing Campaign in legendary comedy troupes with a rabid fanbase, it’s easy to screw things up. IFC did the opposite: It created buzz with both the public and the media for what be- Multicultural Marketing – came a once-in-a-lifetime event. Wow. Networks Honorable Mentions Winner The Style Network - “Ruby” mun2 - The Chicas Project Season 4 Discovery Channel - “Shark Week” The popular “Chicas Project” franchise has helped put mun2 on the map, and the network’s marketing strat- National Geographic Channel - “On Board Air Force 1” egy for the 4th season demonstrates part of why the show has become such a success: Great characters. Mobile Marketing Campaign Well marketed! The “on-the-road” theme of the 4th sea- Winner son lent itself to plenty of out-of-home advertising. And Travel Channel - Travel Channel Mobile Messaging who couldn’t love great marketing stunts like “Tacos vs Despite all the talk about social media, apps and other Hot Dogs” in Hollywood where real-life Chicas compet- fancy ways to reach viewers and customers, some- ed to see who could give out more tacos or hot dogs to times simplicity works. And nothing’s more simple than the crowd. Get this: The season 4 premiere brought in 4 texting. Because Travel’s audience skews older than times more 18-34 viewers than the season 3 premiere. the texting teen crowd, it settled on only 1 or 2 texts per That’s marketing that works, folks. week, created a strong opt-out and avoided anything Honorable Mentions that could be considered spam. Promo included tie-ins Gospel Music Channel - Gospel Music Heritage Month with “Ghost Adventures” and “Man vs Food,” as well IFC - “Bollywood Hero” as social media. Since starting the campaign in early 2009, SMS subs have since grown an average of 37% TNT - “Hawthorne” on TNT each month, with 7 mobile alert clubs totaling 104K TuTv - Bandamax Grassroots Initiative unique users. CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 13 PR Stunt about Jane Lynch... we’ll admit that Megan Mullally is a darned good replacement. Winner ION Media Networks - “Durham County” & ION Tele- Honorable Mentions vision World’s Largest Moving Box Stunt Discovery Channel - Shark Week The cable industry has some of the best PR stuntsters ESPN - NASCAR on ESPN on the planet, but ION showed them all up with this FX - “Archer” Media Guide stunt designed to generate buzz for its 1st original series “Durham County.” Quite simply, ION set out to FX - “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” Media Guide break the Guinness World Record for “World’s Largest Cardboard Moving Box.” Uh, yeah... there’s a record Programming Stunt for that. After a week of NYC radio promo to find 20 Winner “winners,” the 20 dove into the massive box to find a G4 - G4’s “E3 ’09 Live” key worth $100K toward a mortgage payment (Get it? There’s a certain scrappiness to G4, and that’s never Moving?). After much press, Durham County bumped better on display than when it goes on the road to cover by 50% ION viewership in its time slot and has contin- events important to its young, technorati-hipster audi- ued to set viewing records since. Now that’s thinking ence. In this case, G4 spent a whopping 22 hours of air outside the box. Wow. Sorry. time covering E3 Expo 2009, the premiere convention Honorable Mentions for hard-core gamers. At the same time, it smartly lever- A&E Television - Hoarders - Taxi Tops aged the event to promote its relaunch of G4tv.com. In the process, the net broadcast press conferences Cartoon Network - Cartoon Network GET ANIMATED live, conducted several high-profile interviews, roamed Campaign the show floor and demoed countless games. Viewer- Central Florida News 13 - Go Magic! ship reached 4 times G4’s average, with several spe- Oxygen Media - Feed the Models Stunt cials and events from the convention breaking internal records. G4 knows its audience. And this stunt was the Press Kit perfect marketing tool to reach it. Winners Honorable Mentions Showtime Networks Inc - “Nurse Jackie” Discovery Communications/Science Channel - Science In general, Showtime puts out excellent press kits (be- Channel’s “Punkin Chunkin” 2009 lieve us, we’re experts when it comes to these things). FEARnet - FEARtober And its various kits surrounding the new Edie Falco IFC - Live: “Arrested Development” show “Nurse Jackie” have been among the best of the best. In this case, the introductory Nurse Jackie kit IFC - “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (the Lawyers Cut)” contained everything a busy journalist would need to understand the show. Character backgrounds, produc- Public Affairs Campaign tion notes, episode breakdowns and more—all pack- Winner aged beautifully in a lengthy but well-organized folder. Syfy - Battlestar Galactica: A Retrospective And already we’ve started receiving new press kits We’ve made no secret of our opinion that “Battlestar from Showtime that are equally fantastic. We can’t ask Galactica” was an incredible TV watershed. It takes a for much else. series of great depth to get itself discussed at, of all Starz Entertainment - “Party Down” Season 2 places, the United Nations. But Battlestar Galactica, We’ve been “Party Down” admirers for some time which was loaded with social messages and political (the loss of Jane Lynch to “Glee” was tragic, but we commentary, was such a series. So on St Patrick’s Day digress). It’s a great show worthy of press buzz. And 2009, actors Edward James Olmos and Mary McDon- Starz gets a gold, uh... star for its Party Down press kit. nell joined UN officials with responsibility for things Unlike co-winner Showtime, Starz kept its kit extremely like human rights and the security of children for a brief. But get this: The succinct package came in a discussion of social and political issues raised by the folder shaped like a folded shirt with a genuine pink show. Whoopi Goldberg moderated. In addition to UN bow-tie fastened to the top. We love the creativity, sim- staff and press, the audience included some 100 lucky plicity and use of show props to create buzz. And this NYC high school students, hosted by Syfy’s Visions for kit just seemed to fit the show’s personality. Oh, and Tomorrow, a pro-social initiative, and ThinkQuestNYC, CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 14 a non-profit dedicated to learning and technology. Honorable Mention Honorable Mentions Fox Cable Networks - CTAM Video CMT - CMT One Country at the 2009 CMT Music Awards Video: WE tv - WE Volunteer 2009, part of WE Empowers Use of Video or Moving Image Women Winner Tchotchke Motorola - GPON Always On Video Often, conveying the benefits of cutting-edge technol- Winner ogy can come down to convincing people that it has National Geographic Channel - real application in their lives. So Motorola, working Mad Libs/Shrunken Head with Design Kitchen, created a video showing a young We may be many things at CableFAX, but tchotch- millennial using ultra-fast broadband in ways that could ke amateurs we are not. We know tchotchkes. We stress capacity limits. Of course, the video wasn’t have worked with tchotchkes. And you, sir, are no directed at millennials; it was directed at broadband tchotchke... But we digress as usual. More important providers that must serve the needs of this bandwidth- is describing our absolute horror, followed by con- hungry generation. The result was an entertaining fused delight, after receiving NatGeo’s shrunken head piece that conveyed a serious B2B message to Mo- tchotchke. Sent to promote Expedition Week and torola’s customer base. Motorola has used it at trade apparently tap the Indiana Jones adventurer clearly shows, on its Website and even posted it to YouTube. trapped inside every reporter’s body, the head spurred As anyone in this industry knows, video is a powerful much office debate over whether “it was real.” We hope medium. Motorola has harnessed it well. it wasn’t, but we’re still not sure. In any event, the stunt Honorable Mentions earned NatGeo plenty of press buzz and helped Ex- Big Ten Network - The Big Ten Quad pedition Week reach 38% more viewers than in 2008. Indy would be proud. ESPN - Upfront Survival Tips with Scott Van Pelt Honorable Mentions International Media Distribution - Rebrand Campaign Buckeye Cable System - Buckeye Cable System VIP Bundle-Up Viral Marketing Campaign CBS College Sports Network - Winner Armed Forces Football Paperweight G4 - G4’s Attack of the Show FEARnet - “Fear Clinic,” a FEARnet original series Olivia Munn’s National Pie Week Initiative G4’s National Pie Week initiative was perfectly baked Fox Cable Networks - Nat Geo Wild Stamps for its audience—combine a comely lady and an all- American desert, and you achieve viral gold. The aim Trade Show Marketing and PR was to get enough people to sign a petition, and “Attack Winner of the Show” host Olivia Munn would jump into a gi- Fox Cable Networks - Nat Geo Wild Luncheon ant cream pie. The petition netted 63,376 signatures, Anyone who attended Nat Geo Wild’s luncheon at thousands more than enough to satisfy the goal. The CTAM Summit left with a clear understanding that the resulting pie jump video achieved more than 262K new network (which replaces Fox Reality Channel) was views on G4tv.com alone and led to a boost in ratings here to stay. Good attendance was assured because a for the show: by the end of the episode viewing had luncheon panel included Comcast EVP Matt Bond and nearly tripled among men 18-34. It’s not often that we other luminaries. And Fox took full advantage of the op- can give an award for jumping into a pie. But, uh... well, portunity, decking out the room with elements from the wow. Guess we’re doing it. Earth, Jungle, Air and Sea, and running an impressive Honorable Mentions sizzle reel that showcased the new channel’s lineup. It A&E Television - Hammertime was an unusually dramatic and grand sponsorship for Animal Planet a CTAM event. By its spring launch, the net had se- “Whale Wars” Season Two Viral Marketing Campaign cured commitments from nearly every major distributor despite its vastly different content vs Fox Reality. FUSE - Hip Hop Invasion

CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 15 People Awards worked tirelessly over the last couple of years to turn a critically acclaimed show about 1960s Madison Ave into a bona fide sensation. Whether it’s promos with Banana Marketer of the Year, Republic, online games like “Mad Men Yourself” or wildly VP Level and Above creative consumer marketing like “New York Mets Gone Winner Mad”... this team deserves enormous credit for all it does Tom Carr, SVP, Marketing-Strategy/Amy Winter, SVP, on Mad Men as well as other shows like “Breaking Bad” Marketing-Creative - TLC and the upcoming “Rubicon.” When Jon Hamm turns up hosting “SNL” not once, but twice, it’s clear this team This dynamic duo has been turning heads at TLC since deserves a lot of the credit for the pop culture force it they came on board in late 2008, and the pair spent helped create from scratch. most of last year overhauling the net’s marketing and branding machine. By mid-year, the results were al- Honorable Mentions ready paying off, with prime ratings up a whopping 45% Big Ten Network and 6 returning series posting double-digit gains. In Holograms of Eddie George. 8-foot-tall bobbleheads. addition, they supported the launch of another 6 series Fan interaction. A risk-taking team with great instincts that all got 2nd-season pickups, all while reducing cre- and a sense of what it takes to win. ative costs by 50%. Carr and Winter also streamlined Discovery Communications - TLC Marketing Team TLC’s promo strategy, focusing on a smaller number of It was a rebuilding year at TLC, and this marketing on-air promos per week to maximize impact, and they team really took the reigns in several areas. No telling supercharged the net’s brand integration strategy to what’s next. increase ad revenue. There’s more, but we don’t have space to list all of their accomplishments. And remem- Fox Cable Networks ber, most of this has happened in their first year on the This affiliate marketing team is among the best, navi- job. No telling what’s in store for the future. gating a tough retrans deal with Time Warner Cable in 2009. Honorable Mentions NBC Universal Kenetta Bailey, SVP, Marketing The Olympics, USA’s excellent “Character Project” and We tv/Wedding Central countless other initiatives. A top-notch crew year after A fabulous marketer and person. Her vision has helped year. create big brands like “Bridezillas” and “My Fair Wed- ding.” Not only that, but she launched WE Volunteers Tennis Channel and has spearheaded other socially conscious initia- Despite a bad economy, this lean-and-mean team tives. stepped up with big partnerships and hard work to find success. Bill Bergofin SVP, Marketing And Promotion - VERSUS Since overseeing the rebrand of OLN to VERSUS, his PR Executive of the Year, efforts have helped put VERSUS on a growth bonanza. VP Level and Above In many ways, this net’s on fire. And fire’s gotta start Winner somewhere. John Solberg, SVP of Media Relations Denise Conroy-Galley FX Networks SVP, Marketing & Research - Outdoor Channel It’s no secret that FX is on a roll with some of the best She wields a keen sense of how to catapult a brand shows on TV, including “Damages,” “Rescue Me” and to the next level, and Outdoor’s recent strides prove it. the promising new addition “Justified.” And interest- This net is lucky to have Conroy-Galley on its team. ingly, FX has maintained a diverse programming lineup that also includes plenty of comedies. Managing this Marketing Team of the Year wonderful madness from the communications cockpit is John Solberg, who has been with FX since its inception Winner and doesn’t get enough credit for the significant and AMC – Rainbow complicated job he does every day. As FX chief John The runaway success of AMC’s “Mad Men” is now leg- Landgraf puts it, Solberg “has been deeply involved in end, but part of the show’s success stands on the shoul- decision-making across all divisions, offering valuable ders of marketing giants. AMC’s marketing mavens have insight and helping us reach new heights.” We’ve been CableFAX DailyTM Wednesday, April 28, 2010 ● Page 16 long impressed with FX’s PR operation, including its Public Affairs & attention to detail and fabulous press materials. Sol- Communications Executive berg faced tough competition for this title, as he was up against the incredible Theano Apostolou and Richard of the Year Licata in the finals... But this has been FX’s year. And Winner it’s also Solberg’s. A&E Television Honorable Mentions Michael Feeney SVP, Public Affairs and Corporate Communications Theano Apostolou, SVP, Publicity, Talent Relations and Promotional Events - AMC Talk about someone who has come a long way since Apostolou has been a key force behind the success of his days as an NBC page. Feeney now oversees the AMC shows like “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” with entire AETN PR operation, including all the strategic an innate skill for corralling talent, running awesome outreach for its many and diverse networks. But we events and inspiring everyone around her. We’re fans. were also impressed by his incredible efforts in coor- dinating educational and community outreach efforts, Richard Licata, EVP, Corporate Communications which have received praise from the White House to Showtime Networks communities around the country. Often, Feeney must Licata has been a staple of Showtime’s PR operation coordinate such programs with affiliate partners. It’s for some time, and he has been integral to its rise in re- hard to argue with success, and Feeney’s deft over- cent years out of HBO’s shadow and into its own glory. sight of the AETN brand has been a major contributor to AETN’s overall success. Just ask AETN chief Abbe PR Team of the Year Raven, who calls him a “key member” of her team. We Winner agree. National Geographic Channel Honorable Mentions We’re just suckers for a great PR team, and few can NBCU - Susan Haspel match the folks over at Nat Geo, who understand the Executive Producer, “The More You Know” needs of the press, and who also know when to push, We can’t think of a public-affairs campaign more well when to let go and when to just shoot the breeze. In known than, well... “The More You Know.” What a addition to PR chief Russell Howard and co’s excellent legacy. relationships with important trade and consumer press, RCN - Richard Ramlall the Nat Geo crew also puts together some of the best SVP, Strategic External Affairs and Programming press kits and has a zen feel for how to appropriately RCN is a scrappy overbuilder, and Ramlall may be one market new shows and initiatives to a busy media often of the most versatile and hard-working strategists out bombarded by too much information. That the team there. does so much with only 6 staffers is truly amazing. Steve Schiffman and all the top execs at Nat Geo are lucky to have this team singing the network’s praises. Thanks... And we’re here to lend our applause as well. We can’t extend enough thanks to the hundreds of PR Honorable Mentions folks, marketers, digital gurus and others who submitted Big Ten Network nominations for this year’s Best of the Web and Cable- Elizabeth Conlisk, Mike Vest and Janel Blanchard forge FAXIES awards programs. We know it takes time to put great press relationships and wield social media know- these nominations together, and as such we always how to boot. take the judging process very seriously. Furthermore, Bravo learning about all the great things you’re doing helps Cameron Blanchard, Johanna Fuentes and the rest of CableFAX stay connected and well-informed. So on top Bravo’s PR team are pros, launching 14 returning and 8 of supporting our awards programs, you’re also ensuring new series in 2009. that our coverage of the industry remains top notch. We couldn’t do it without you. Many thanks! Canoe Ventures Vicki Lins, Dana Runnells and the whole gang over at --Seth Arenstein, Editorial Director, and Michael Grebb, Canoe have weathered scrutiny and come out smiling. Executive Editor What a smart, passionate group.