Melinda Witmer
Title: EVP/Chief Video & Content Officer, Time Warner Cable
Number of Years in Cable: 19
Education: BS, University of Arizona; JD, University of Pennsylvania

Why Her? Witmer is a shrewd yet fair negotiator responsible for video and content distribution agreements and strategy across the board—VOD, online and linear platforms. She was a driving force behind the October 2012 launch of the MSO’s two regional sports networks in southern California, Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes. And that in and of itself makes her hugely influential. Cutting out the middleman and creating a pair of Lakers channels was a bold effort—and Witmer was there to broker the deals. At the networks’ debut, she secured carriage with most of the major MSOs, and signed an agreement with one of the final two holdouts the following month. And in January, rumors of TWC striking a deal with the L.A. Dodgers for its own regional sports net became official, making the MSO’s quest for a triple regional threat—Lakers, Galaxy and Dodgers—at last complete. When not negotiating, she enjoys her hobby of fixing up houses and then selling them. Fittingly, it requires mastering skills like negotiating, calculating finances and predicting the market. Go figure.

Apple or Samsung? Both!

Beatles or The Rolling Stones? Both!

The one thing I’d do differently if I could go back to high school: Wear sunscreen.

On a Saturday afternoon, you can find me… hanging with family; out walking the dog; taking a long walk sans Blackberry to chill out and disconnect.

This is the hobby I’ve been itching to try, but haven’t found time: Golf and paddle tennis

Appetizer or dessert? Appetizer. Better than dinner!

Film fest or music festival? Film

Favorite decade? Current one. Live for today.

I watch the majority of programming on this device: The largest glowing screen available to me.

My favorite Cable Show memory: My first year in the business. My booth duty at HBO was handing out cookies.

If I could tell my 21-year-old self something today, it would be… seriously, conference room cookies are the devil. ?

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