90 | STANDING OVATION
By | December 1, 2011
Charles Segars
Title: CEO, Ovation
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Ask for directions.
Ken Solomon
Title: Chairman, Ovation; Chairman/CEO, The Tennis Channel
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Never lose your moral compass. (When the chips are down it’s all you’ve got).
Why Them? Being an indie network in a pond of conglomerates is no easy task. Savvy negotiators Segars and Solomon continue to push Ovation and Tennis’ agenda—and retrans reform—and garnered admirable carriage headway and revenue this year. Ovation is now in 44 million homes; its new HD and VOD services should turn heads, as will past seasons of “So You Think You Can Dance,” which launched in August. Tennis’ ad sales are up 40%-60% the past two years.
Charles Segars
The one burning question I have for Siri on my iPhone 4S: Don’t have one
My favorite meal that I can also prepare myself: movie popcorn
The one topping that should never be put on a hot dog: mayo
The biggest innovation in cable over the last year has been: People
Favorite restaurant: Food in West L.A.
Favorite “going out” town: Chicago
My best technique for deterring time-wasting office visits from co-workers: Stand-up desk and a cubicle
Favorite coffee order at Starbucks: Low-fat latte
Bands I would actually go see live: U2
Favorite business and/or motivational book: “Americans In Paris” by David McCullough
Favorite sports team: 49ers
Favorite vacation spot: Glacier National Park
Favorite iPad app: HipGeo
Guilty television pleasure: “The Chew”
When it comes to retransmission consent, cable operators should: Challenge it in the Supreme Court
Ken Solomon
If I had to pick a personal theme song, it would be: “I Won’t Back Down,” Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (also covered beautifully by Johnny Cash)?
Favorite “going out” town: All of them… why stay in? I’ve been on the road since I was 20 and there is something cool and unique to see, do and experience
EVERYWHERE. Go find it… or, as our Fine Living tagline said, "Live Like You Mean It."
The one thing I tell my kids about success in life: “Pressure is a privilege” — Billie Jean King?
My favorite business and/or motivational book: Reading now: “The Gathering Storm” by Winston Churchill. A first-hand account of how Churchill viewed and then strategically prepared to take on the Axis powers in the years leading up to WWII.
My favorite vacation spot: BochKona — an uncharted and nearly unknown private Hawaiian island refuge (don’t ask).
How many companies have you worked for since graduating from college? 10