Clara Kim

What an exciting year for Kim. After founding an indie production and consulting company that focuses on content targeted at multicultural audiences, she rejoined the corporate ranks in April as an EVP at Nat Geo in D.C. No stranger to network life—in the late ’90s, Kim worked on deals to launch MTV and Nickelodeon around the globe—she now oversees business and legal affairs pertaining to all domestic and international businesses for National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo. “Program ownership has been one of the financial benefits of the cable deal model to cable networks buyers,” she says. “As cable production companies are being acquired by companies with global distribution capacities, the ability of cable nets to retain ownership of the programs they produce is becoming increasingly difficult.”

What’s the definition of diversity in 2014, and how can the cable industry do better in the area of inclusiveness?

Diversity in 2014 means, to me, embracing the ways in which we are all different. The cable industry can be better at inclusiveness by not only seeking diverse employees and people in front of cameras, but seeking greater diversity in the creators we support and trust to develop and make our programming.

What qualities do you look for when making a new hire?

The qualities I seek most when making a new hire competence and a desire to excel. I always ask myself “do I think the person can do the job and is the person motivated to it well”.

Name one emerging trend in cable we should all have our eye on.

An emerging trend in cable, we should all have our eyes on is the vertical integration of program producers and distributors. Program ownership has been one of the financial benefits of the cable deal model to cable networks buyers. As cable production companies are being acquired by companies with global distribution capacities, the ability of cable nets to retain ownership of the programs they produce is becoming increasingly difficult.