Amy Baker
EVP, National Ad Sales, Lifetime, LMN & FYI, A+E Networks
A natural “people person,” Baker’s passion for what she does has helped her cultivate client relationships and create deals that exceed expectations for all female-skewing A+E networks and their brand partners. She developed collaborative activations for Lifetime’s new “Project Runway” with clients including Mary Kay, Lexus and Hallmark Signature, and created and distributed a “Fempire” newsletter to marketers—built around the catch-word that describes the essence of Lifetime and underscores the female sense of empowerment. “The cable industry once was a disrupter to broadcast and now we are being disrupted by our frenemies—Netflix and Hulu amongst others,” she says. “Consumers have more choices, and so do advertisers.”
What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?
Anything is possible, if you want it… there are no boundaries, enjoy the journey!
Which current programming best reflects the kind of women’s roles you like to see and why?
- Kerry Washington in “Scandal,” plays Olivia Pope who is smart, empowering, feminine, powerful and African American. Her role exemplifies strength which is what women want to see in women characters and was reinforced in our (lifetime’s) State of Womanhood Study.
- Shiri Appleby and Constance Zimmer in “UnReal” play very strong characters. Shiri’s character, Rachel, struggles with relationships and overall ambivalence which is very real. She does not focus on her makeup and her clothes and is very relatable and within reach. She is smart, tenacious, and has an amazing work ethic. Her role speaks to me. Constance’s character depicts strength, power and intelligence and together they make an incredible team. Constance’s role is one typical of a male and love that she and Shiri, together are a strong business team.
What’s been the biggest story in cable this year?
The cable industry once was a disrupter to broadcast and now we are being disrupted by our frenemies (Netflix and Hulu amongst others). Consumers have more choices and so do advertisers.
