Albert Cheng, Gary Marsh & Ben Pyne
Albert Cheng
Title: EVP & Chief Product Officer, Digital Media, Disney/ABC Television Group
Years in Cable: 17
Education: Bachelor’s, M.I.T.; MBA, Harvard
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Find your passion, play your strengths.
Gary Marsh
Title: President/Chief Creative Officer; Disney Channels Worldwide
Years in Cable: 27
Education: B.A, UCLA
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: When in doubt, cut it out.
Ben Pyne
Title: President, Global Distribution, Disney Media Networks
Years in Cable: 23
Education: BA, Princeton; MBA, Harvard
With the combined creative vision of Marsh, digital media knowledge of Cheng and distribution chops from Pyne, Disney could dominate even more screens in the coming year. Thanks to Marsh, Disney Channel continues to top the ratings charts with kids 6-11 and tweens and Disney Junior has surpassed Nick and Sprout in key demos. Under Pyne’s stewardship, DirecTV at long last launched the suite of ESPN, Disney and ABC Watch products—which fall under Cheng’s management until he departs Disney in May after a decade at content powerhouse. Adding to the success of those TV Everywhere activations, this past year was a landmark distribution deal made with Dish that included offering linear and video-on-demand content through its over-the-top service Sling TV.
Cheng:
If I had a show on YouTube it would be called… “A Show About Nothing”
Favorite Screen: Still the 60-inch TV screen
Apple iWatch or Rolex? Both, one on each wrist
Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat? Twitter
Favorite vacation spot: My hometown—Honolulu
The last time I had a good laugh was… watching “Blackish” and “Fresh Off the Boat”
Marsh:
I watch most programming on this device: A 60-inch television
Favorite Screen: Loving the iPad right now
Apple iWatch or Rolex? Apple iWatch (the 2.0 edition!)
If I could interrupt Kanye West just once, I would tell him… STFU
My favorite newfound hobby: Facing off against my FitBit
If Disney hired me to reboot “Star Wars” I would… hire Kathleen Kennedy and JJ Abrams to produce and direct it.
The awards show the industry needs right now is… World’s Most Offensive Reality Series
Who’s on tap for the next big comeback? Shia LaBeouf
Favorite TV show as a kid: “Wild Wild West”
The last time I had a good laugh was… when Jon Stewart joked about leaving “The Daily Show”…
My favorite business/motivational book: Turn This Ship Around by David Marquet
Pyne:
I watch most programming on this device: TV
The biggest innovation in cable over the last year: Sling TV
The day we get multiplatform measurement is the day I… buy our head of research a drink.
Apple iWatch or Rolex? iWatch
I wish Congress would just… get along.
Favorite vacation spot: Aspen
Favorite TV show as a kid? “Hogan Heroes”
My favorite business/motivational book: Creativity, Inc.
