Miguel Santos

Santos sets the overall direction for Asian-American net Myx, overseeing programming, production, creative, digital media, marketing and business development. This year the network added Bright House Networks to its distribution rolls, bringing its household count to 12 million. Santos is expanding distribution to connected devices as well, launching an app on Roku, Samsung Smart TV and Sony Bravia to complement the cable channel. With Asian Americans typically one of the most under-represented minority groups in media, Santos says cable can help by “diversifying the ranks of decision makers to include more individuals who have different perspectives attuned to the country’s rapidly changing demographic composition and entertainment preferences.”

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

Diversity in 2014 goes beyond the physical manifestation of race or gender–it’s now about everything that makes us human such as our beliefs, personalities, and experiences.  The cable industry can do better in the area of inclusiveness by diversifying the ranks of decision makers to include more individuals who have different perspectives attuned to the country’s rapidly changing demographic composition and entertainment preferences.

What’s been your company’s biggest innovation this year? 

Our programming is our biggest innovation.  We’re challenging the notion that Asian American entertainment is either ethnic or strictly for YouTube by producing English language reality TV shows featuring Asian American and multicultural millennials.

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

I look for three things- skill, discipline, and passion. Having skill is a given but discipline and passion separates outstanding employees from the rest- they’re willing to learn new skills, apply what they learned, and go the extra mile.