44 | <span class="Apple-style-span&qu
Cyma Zarghami
Title: President, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids & Family
Years in Cable: 26
Education: BA, U of Vermont
Why Her? Like the green slime that’s ceremoniously dumped during its signature Kids Choice Awards, Nickelodeon has literally oozed its way into the very soul of American popular culture. And Zarghami is largely to thank for that. Not only is Nick the No. 1 rated cable network for 16 years and counting, but its franchises—from Dora to iCarly—are staples across the gamut of media platforms including digital, film, music and, increasingly, gaming. And Nick fans may grow up, but they never fade away. In response to demand from fans on social sites asking to see iconic Nick shows, Zarghami this summer launched “The 90s Are All That!,” a weeknight programming block featuring Nick’s ‘90s-era shows on TeenNick that raised the network’s ratings by record triple digits in the 12-24 and 18-34 demographics.
Monkey Business: Augmenting its role in the gaming universe, Nick launched Monkey Quest, a virtual world and Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) that’s amassed 4 million registered users since its April 2011 launch.
Year Ahead: With Disney Junior racing onto the playground in 2012, Zarghami needs to keep her best game face on. ?
