CableFAX: 77. The Entertainer: Ted Harbert
Ted Harbert
Title: President/CEO, Comcast Entertainment Group
Last Year: #34
Age: Grecian Formula #16
Education: Brutal nuns and priests
Why Him? E!, Style and G4 are on track to deliver their most-watched years in ’08, helping Comcast’s programming segment command a 5% revenue gain to $347mln during Q3. Harbert beefed up reality programming on E! and Style (think Pamela Anderson, Denise Richards and, yes, Ruby Gettinger), successfully wooed Ryan Seacrest and celebrated a ratings high for the season seven (!) premiere of Style’s Clean House. He brought G4 to life with Lost and Heroes, and oversaw the relaunch of E! Online and Mystyle.com.
Worth Watching: How Harbert finesses the folding of FEARnet into Comcast Entertainment.
Year Ahead:
Harbert’s calculated programming moves in ’08 should continue to reap rewards.
Favorite Food: Ruffles Reduced Fat Potato Chips
Favorite Music: Earth Wind and Fire
Unnecessary Luxury I Like Most: Ruffles Reduced Fat Potato Chips
Favorite Show Not on My Network: 30 Rock
Last Book Read: How to Make Ruffles Reduced Fat Potato Chips
Favorite Part of My Job: The work
Worst Part of My Job: Washing Ryan Seacrest’s Bentley
My Company Is Preparing for the Future By: Searching for my replacement
Hero: My father
CO