Don’t Miss It

The staff’s unscientific picks of hot panels and several social events.

Monday

Cable TV Pioneers, 5:30pm, Crystal Ballroom, Biltmore Hotel: The Cable TV Pioneers and Hall of Fame (Tues) are banquets with edible food. The Pioneers – in tuxedos and gowns – always induct those with 20+ years in cable who’ve actually done something, like Rob Kennedy and his folk music, Ron Dorchester’s Texas music picks, Jana Henthorn’s rapport with collegians, Joe Rooney’s magic marketing, Bob Stanzione’s acquisitive ARRIS and Sharan Wilson’s dogs. PM

Tuesday

Newsmaker Brunch, 10am, Rm 153. A ticketed event (advance sales only). The first time NCTA has co-hosted an event with the Hollywood Radio & Television Society. Since it will feature a 1-on-1 with Brian Roberts, a large turnout is certain. Whether Mr. Roberts will commit news is not. AM

WICT Lunch: See page 22.

Behind the Screens, 3:15pm, Rm 153: Char Beales is a fine moderator and has top-notch content heads to quiz, including NBCU distribution chief Bridget Baker and Scripps Networks’ President John Lansing. MG

Listening to Customers, 3:15pm, Rm 409: A satisfied cable customer will remain loyal, right? Maybe not. Frank Perazzini of J.D. Power and Associates unveils research on how online care and social media influence loyalty and customer experience. The Cable Center SVP Jana Henthorn leads reactors, including customer experience guru Dr. Charles Patti, Suddenlink’s Gibbs Jones and Comcast’s Veronica Jellison. SA

Original Appeal, 4:30pm, Rm 408A: Hit makers John Landgraf of FX, Nancy Dubuc of A&E, Rainbow’s Ed Carroll, NBCU’s Frances Berwick and Turner’s Michael Wright dish about cable’s hottest original programming. But with 2 other good panels at this juncture (see below), it’s decision time. MG

Mapping New Tech, 4:30pm, Room 153: Tech Diva (and we mean that in the nicest way) Leslie Ellis hosts a mind-meld of brainy CTOs, including Comcast’s Tony Werner and Time Warner Cable’s Mike LaJoie. MG

Social Media as a Mainstay, 4:30pm, Rm 404: CableFAX: The Magazine contributor Daisy Whitney tackles social media, with insight from Hallmark’s Pam Slay, Time Warner Cable’s Alex Dudley and others. It should be an illuminating panel — no matter your social media proficiency. MG

Hall of Fame, 6pm, J.W. Marriott: The Hall gets six new members, but not before a tribute to the late, great Bill Bresnan. We miss him. The new class includes AETN’s Abbe Raven (who once hosted the best cocktail party in cable, plus the theater), the Braves’ Terry McGuirk, S-A’s Allen Ecker, Canada’s J. R. Shaw and the late Yolanda Barco, who truly helped create the industry. And there’s my old friend Marc Nathanson. The only sadness with Marc is we both miss Burt Harris. Be sure to ask Marc about the "Young Communicators Club," one of cable’s better boondoggles. PM

Battle of the Bands, 8pm, Nokia Theater: Cox always is WICT’s top operator and its band always wins this musical competition. Darn it. SA

Wednesday

CTAM Research Conference: Thru Friday; see page 17.

FCC Agenda, 2pm, Rm 409: It should be especially interesting to hear FCC Media Bureau Bill Lake just days before initial comments are due on retransmission consent. Moderated by former Kevin Martin staffer Catherine Bohigian (now at Cablevision), the panel should provide insight on how chiefs of key offices and Bureaus view cable. AM

Margin Call, 3:30pm, Rm 408A: A perennial don’t miss. This year it’s Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis questioning sharp financial cookies like Sanford Bernstein’s Craig Moffett, Citigroup’s Jason Bazinet, UBS’ John Hodulik and Merrill Lynch’s Jessica Reif-Cohen. AM

EBIF Nation, Wed, 3:30pm, Room 406: Don’t understand EBIF? Here’s your chance to learn about the ITV-enabling platform with implications for e-commerce and advertising. The lineup includes three of cable’s best: Time Warner Cable’s Joan Gillman, Canoe Ventures’ Arthur Orduna and Comcast’s Mark Hess. MG

Thursday

NAMIC Awards Breakfast: A record number entered the competition for young leaders, see page 23.

Gen Session, 9am, Nokia Theater: If you’re still in town, don’t miss the maiden voyage of FCC Chairman Julius "Genuflect" Genachowski explaining how he’s going to fix retrans consent/must carry and take all that spectrum away from broadcasters while forcing cable to carry all their signals. PM

New Content Delivery, 10:30am, Rm 408A: A chance to hear tech gurus talk 3D, including ESPN’s Chuck Pagano, Sony’s Chris Cookson and Scott Teissler of Turner. SA

Advertising’s New Math, 10:30am, Rm 406: The always provocative Andrew Hampp of Advertising Age moderates a session whose time should have come years ago — new ways of measuring TV viewing and implications for advertising. SA