Latino Growth

Name: Joe Uva
Title: CEO and board member, Univision Communications
Age: 52
Years in Industry: 29

Name: Ray Rodriguez
Title: President/COO, Univision Communications
Age: 56
Years in Industry: 24
Years Left in Industry: “As long as they’ll have me.”

Name: Antoinette Zel
Title: Senior EVP, strategy, Telemundo

Name: Michael Schwimmer
Title: CEO, Sí TV
Age: 46
Years in Industry: 11
Years left in the industry: 15

Name: Mike Roggero
Title: CFO, Sí TV
Age: 45
Years in Industry: 1
Years Left in Industry: “TBD”

Why them? With the number of channels aimed at 45 million-plus U.S. Latinos on the rise, Univision Communications—with its cable net Galavision and diginet package TuTV—remains the field’s leading player. Now with a new CEO in charge (former Turner Broadcasting exec Uva succeeding limelight avoider Jerry Perenchio) and Rodriguez remaining as president, look for Univision to move ahead with more Spanish-language cable initiatives in 2008, including operator video-on-demand, high-speed or HD content deals in exchange for retransmission consent. Zel bid Telemundo adios in mid-October, after turning Latino cable net mun2’s focus from music to lifestyle and pop culture this year. The Chicas Project hit home with viewers, and the channel’s Latinos in the Military documentary earned the prestigious Peabody Award. Separately, Schwimmer, CFO Mike Ruggiero and SiTV’s executive team continue to expand and diversify their English-speaking channel’s lineup, with such shows as “Flow and Tell,” “Jammin’” and “Unacceptable Behavior.”  SSA (Simon Applebaum)

Joe Uva

Favorite word: “Yes”
Least favorite word: “Maybe”
Turn on: “Spending time with my family”
Turn off: “Mean spirited people”
Sound I love: “A big fish stripping line off the reel.”
Sound I hate: “Sirens”
Profession I would like to attempt: “College football coach”
Profession I would not want to participate in: “Dog catcher”
What I would like to hear God say upon arrival at the Pearly Gates: “Welcome, I’ve been waiting for you.”

Ray Rodriguez

Favorite line from a movie or TV show: “Who are those guys?” – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
My perfect vacation goes like this: “Get to wherever, do whatever… with my family.”
Favorite piece of tech: “Blackberry”
Least favorite piece of tech: “Blackberry”
The world would be a better place if: “People pushed the positives and not the negatives.”
In my free time, I like to: “Have free time.”
Favorite restaurant: “My boat.”
Favorite sports team: “(Tie) 1961 Yankees and my sons little league squad.”

Michael Schwimmer

Favorite restaurant: “The Wiener Factory, Los Angeles”
Favorite city: “San Francisco”
Favorite line from a movie or TV show: “Help me help you” – Jerry Maguire
Favorite song: Tom Jobim’s “Girl From Ipanema”
Favorite movie: Crash
Favorite piece of tech: “GPS running watch”

Mike Roggero

I knew the cable industry was for me when: “When my son and I got addicted to Iron Chef America.”
Defining career moment: “Helping to launch an Internet 1.0 business and getting it ready for an IPO.”
Top personal achievement in 2007: “Having twins.”
Person (other than my current boss) who I’d most like to work for: “Steve Burke”
Favorite restaurant: “Nobu – Tribeca NY”
Favorite city: “Pasadena”
Favorite line from a movie or TV show: “You can’t handle the truth!” – Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men
Favorite movie: Godfather II
Favorite sports team: “USC Football”
Favorite piece of tech: “iPod”
Least favorite piece of tech: “DSL”
The three most played songs on my iPod are: Shop Boyz’s “Party Like a Rock Star,” Calle 13’s “La Cumbia de Los Aburridos,” Rihanna’s “SOS.”
My perfect vacation goes like this: “2 weeks in Maui – golfing, diving and sailing.”

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