Title: President/GM, A&E, Bio Channel, Crime & Investigation Network
Years in Cable: 14
Education: BA, Stony Brook; JD, UCLA
Nancy Dubuc
Title: President/GM, History Channel and Lifetime Networks
Years in Cable: 20
Education: BA, Boston University
Best Advice: First pick your boss, then the job.
Why Them? This dynamic duo continues to push for genre-bending, demographic-lowering programming. Under DeBitetto’s leadership, A&E has evolved into a perennial top 10 cabler. After its best delivery ever in 2010—marking seven consecutive growth years 25-54—2011 is on pace to become the eighth. He also spearheaded its launch of “Storage Wars,” the No. 3 show among 18-49/25-54 demos. With Dubuc in charge, History long ago shed its rep as “The WWII Channel” and embraced the future with an arsenal of hit series, including ongoing smash “Pawn Stars,” the year’s No. 2 reality series behind “Jersey Shore,” attracting 7.6 million viewers. Along with “Ice Road Truckers” and “Ax Men,” the net increased viewers 25% across all demos this year and remains entrenched as the No. 1 nonfiction cable network.
Bob DeBitetto
Favorite restaurant: Via Quadronno on New York’s Upper East Side or Sant Ambroeus in the West Village
Favorite “going out” town: Is there a better town than New York?
My favorite iPad app: Koi Pond, for much-needed moments of Zen
If I invented my own app it would: Answer these questions for me!
The one burning question I have for iPhone 4S Siri: What’s going to be the next big hit?
Biggest cable innovation over the last year: The proliferation of social networking during shows. The tablet has been one of the biggest drivers, as more people interact online while watching TV. That has to change the way content creators think about our programming. TV used to be something you watched; now it’s something you take part in.
Nancy Dubuc
Favorite restaurant: Mary’s Fish Camp
One thing I tell my kids about success in life: Find your passion and embrace it, believe in yourself, work hard, set goals and success will follow.
Worst thing I’ve heard in a meeting: “We tried that already,” “Our business is all execution and innovation,” “It can always be done better or someone else will.”
Favorite Starbucks order: Venti half/caf, skim and one Splenda
Favorite sports team: Patriots
Favorite vacation spot: Great Point Nantucket; it’s not enough just to go to a far-out island.
My favorite iPad app: Scrabble
Guilty TV pleasure: “The Good Wife” and “Grey’s Anatomy”… nothing like a good drama
What I admire most about Millennials: They are clever and resourceful, tech savvy and great multitaskers. They are not afraid to change the status quo.
How many companies have you worked for since college? 5
Biggest cable innovation over the last year: Integrating cable’s functionality with tablets like the iPad.
The one burning question I have for iPhone 4S Siri: How do I get more hours in the day? ?
the underlying theories now being bandied about for either regulating broadband internet access services (BIAS) as a utility or something that should be freely competitive are in major conflict.
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