Switch Hit

Name: Amir Bassan-Eskenazi
Title: CEO, BigBand Networks
Age: 43
Years in Industry: 15
Years left in Industry: 15

Why Him? We’re putting Bassan-Eskenazi pretty high this year to recognize his company’s relevance. It offers technology supporting expanded HDTV program packages, network DVRs, faster broadband speeds, VoIP and targeted advertising. Yeah. Just a few things on cable operators’ radar screens. Oh, and we almost forgot the most important part: BigBand is a leader in switched digital video, an area poised for massive growth in the coming years. This guy can also sell, as he has reeled in more than 100 customers globally, including 9 of the 10 largest MSOs in the U.S. His only challenge in ’08 might be meeting everyone’s high expectations. We’ll be watching.  MG

I knew the cable industry was for me when: “I was working on an early advertising insertion project in 1992, and I realized that, with some innovation, the cable industry could be the first mover toward networking video as a digital, two-way communication, and that a successful business could be built on video networking.”
The cable industry’s biggest challenge in 2008 is: “Charting the course to a personalized TV, and a high-definition entertainment experience that overcomes bandwidth and capital constraints.”
The coolest new cable tech is: “Switched digital video. Yes, I’m biased, but I don’t think I’m alone in this opinion. SDV can create a foundation for more programming, more HDTV, and more personalized services at a relatively low cost to the operator. It’s that rare technology that can make everyone happy—subscriber, programmer, engineer and financial analyst—and that’s tough to do.”
Defining career moment: “I have one nearly every day.”
Three things I would take with me to a desert island: “Would have to take four things—my wife and three kids.”
Favorite movie: “Any Ridley Scott film, but Blade Runner if I had to pick one.”

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