David Zaslav

David Zaslav
Title: President & CEO, Discovery Communications
Years in Cable: 26
Education: BS, SUNY Binghamton; JD, Boston University School of Law
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Answer every email and return every call.

Credit Zaslav with not toeing the line. Discovery Communications was the only large programmer to voice concerns about Comcast’s pending merger with Time Warner Cable. Time will tell how that pays off as negotiations come up with Comcast. But Zaslav is riding high after leading the company into international waters. Discovery’s international revenue passed 50 percent of total company revenue, and he led the transaction to acquire a controlling interest in Eurosport. And Zaslav has continued his model for revamping the portfolio, debuting Discovery Life in January and Discovery Family Channel (formerly The Hub) last fall. With deals now in place for Sony’s Vue and Hulu, look for Zaslav to fortify the company’s position in the changing TV landscape.

The day we get multiplatform measurement is the day I…know we’re finally getting full value for our content.
The technology that will most benefit cable over the next year is: Big data and analytics are going to change the industry and allow us to deepen our relationship with viewers. Addressability is going to be huge.
Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere with my family.
Desert island album? Boston
Favorite TV show as a kid? “Hogan’s Heroes”
My favorite business/motivational book: Winning by Jack Welch