Title: Founder/Chairman/CEO Entertainment Studios Networks
Years in Cable: 5
Education: USC Film School
Best Advice: Get out of your way!
Janice Arouh
Title: President, Distribution/Marketing, Entertainment Studios Networks
Years in Cable: 20
Education: BA Communications, John Carroll University
Best Advice: Be prepared… Give your best, your very best.
Why Them: With production, distribution and advertising sales for 30 TV series on seven networks, Entertainment Studios is the nation’s largest independent producer/distributor of first-run syndicated broadcast programming. Allen and Arouh are digging deep to monetize the company’s 4,000-plus hours of library content and 30 shows in first-run syndication serving 1,500 TV stations nationwide. A year after joining Entertainment Studios Networks and its suite of seven indie networks, former Hallmark exec Arouh secured a multiyear carriage extension deal with Verizon, multimillion-dollar content deal with Netflix and international distribution deal for the company throughout 82 countries in the Middle East and Africa. Who has time for lunch?
Role Playing: While Allen is as heralded a comedian as he is an entrepreneur—hosting “Entertainers With Byron Allen” and “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen” on his Comedy.TV—it’s pretty cool that his show biz ambitions began in childhood, when he accompanied his publicist mother to NBC studios in Burbank. He snuck into “The Tonight Show” set and would sit at Johnny Carson’s desk, playing night show host. Obviously, Allen doesn’t have to pretend anymore.
Property Junkie: Arouh is a huge fan of real estate and a shameless reader of The Real Estalker (realestalker.blogspot.com), a tell-all blog about celebrity real estate trading.
Byron Allen
Favorite meal I can also prepare myself: fruit salad
One topping that should never be on a hot dog: chocolate
Biggest cable innovation in cable over the last year: Entertainment Studios Cable Networks
Personal theme song: “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky),” Bill Conti
One thing I tell my kids about success in life: Pursue your passion with unrelenting passion.
Worst thing I’ve heard in a meeting: “No.”
Best technique for deterring time-wasting office visits from co-workers: I ask them to give me a ride to the airport; my flight’s at 9.
Favorite Starbucks order: chocolate chip cookie
Acts I would see live: Earth Wind & Fire
Top 3 on my iPod: “What’s Going On?” Marvin Gaye; “Here and Now,” Luther Vandross; “Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z
Favorite business and/or motivational book: “Succeeding Against the Odds: The Autobiography of a Great American Businessman,” John H. Johnson & Lerone Bennett Jr.
Favorite sports team: L.A. Lakers
Favorite vacation spot: Europe
Favorite iPad app: SmartTV.com
Janice Arouh
One topping that should never be put on a hot dog: ketchup
Personal theme song: “Over the Rainbow,” Judy Garland
Favorite restaurant: Chez Arouh
Favorite “going out” town: New York
One thing I tell my kids about success in life: It’s not the view but the climb.
Worst thing I’ve heard in a meeting: “That’s a dumb idea.”
Best technique for deterring time-wasting office visits from co-workers: “I gotta close this deal today!”
Acts I would actually pay to see live: Rolling Stones, Springsteen, Sting… front row
Favorite business and/or motivational book: “First, Break All the Rules,” Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman
Favorite sports team: My son Alec’s (10) basketball team, The California Force
Vacation spot: Dalmatian coast
Favorite iPad app: Trulia
Favorite Starbucks order: Tall skinny hot chocolate with whip cream
Guilty TV pleasure: “Walking Dead”
When I look at my cable set-top box, I can’t help but think: It will be replaced by a connected TV and I’ll save $360 per year.
When it comes to retransmission consent, cable operators should: Stop caving on retrans demands, foster competition by launching independent networks and reduce content costs.
What puzzles me about Millennials: Unfortunately, they are often misunderstood.
What I admire most about Millennials: They are the “next greatest generation” with unlimited potential, underscored by their genuine desire to be socially conscious, so I applaud their contributions.
Burning question I have for my iPhone 4S Siri: When will Entertainment Studios Networks achieve 100 million Nielsen cable television households? ?
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