Number of Years in Cable: 15 (12 or so producing and distributing content, and the last 3 on the other side of the table)
Education: BS, Public Policy & Political Science, Duke University (plus two other graduate degrees that would only define me)
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Don’t accept the premise; make your opportunities.
Ron Garfield
Title: Chief Revenue Officer, FEARnet/SVP, Affiliate Sales, Sony Movie Channel
Number of Years in Cable: 14
Education: Still Learning
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: You have to be present to succeed.
Why Them? FEARnet’s cable horrors have crept into over 7 million homes, luring scream-seekers with blood-bathed blockbusters, twisted indies and haunting classics. Topping 8 million monthly orders, the network is finishing at No. 1 for HD VOD. Peter Block’s background as a A-list Hollywood producer (he’s the guy who scared the stuffing out of you with all those twisted “Saw” movies) makes him the perfect guy to lead FEARnet to spine-chilling heights. Garfield, meanwhile, has his eyes on the numbers, splitting his time between FEARnet and affiliated Sony Movie Net where he oversees affiliate sales. Both are now turning their attention to dynamic insertion ads to attract advertisers. And the results could spell increased cash flow for the company and more relevant targeting for Madison Avenue.
Block
Beatles or The Rolling Stones? Beatles, with a side of Springsteen.
The one thing I’d do differently if I could go back to high school: Avoid the lacrosse players while riding my bike to school (my son just loves this particular “dad’s a moron” story).
On a Saturday afternoon, you can find me… outdoors listening to a ballgame while working or reading, with a frozen bottle of YooHoo and likely some Bay Cities eggplant parm.
Appetizer or dessert? Appetizers. Over dessert, over entrée, over drinks.
Film fest or music festival? Both make me smile and remind me why I used to promote concerts and why I now make movies.
I watch the majority of programming on this device: A TV set, and I prefer to watch movies in a theater.
If I could tell my 21-year-old self something today, it would be… largely ignored.
The biggest lesson I learned from my kid(s) this year was… homework procrastination is hereditary.
I wish Congress would just… spend as much time finding solutions as they do identifying problems (funnily: I wish that for my staff sometimes too).
The TV show title that most resembles my life is… “The Walking Dead”
Garfield
Apple or Samsung? Apple
Beatles or The Rolling Stones? Beatles
The one thing I’d do differently if I could go back to high school: Take it seriously.
On a Saturday afternoon, you can find me… glad to be detached from M-F.
My new year’s resolution for 2014 will be… seriously, it’s only June.
My peers would be surprised to learn that I… was an equestrian in my youth.
Most embarrassing moment? Of the many in recent memory, ordering two bottles of wine when I was visiting India and thinking they were $73 each only to find out they were $730 each. Ugh…I had understanding friends, but they never let me order wine anymore.
The best piece of business advice I’ve gotten this year: Close the deal.
Celebrity, sports figure or politician I’d most want to have dinner with? Bill Clinton
Cable exec I wish had done a Harlem Shake video? I’m probably negotiating with them now so…
The biggest lesson I learned from my kid(s) this year was… Compassion and forgiveness. ?
Imagine Communications CEO Tom Cotney announced he’ll retire effective March 31. He’ll stick around, however, as the non-executive chairman of the board, where he’ll support customer commitments, advise
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