Mike Roggero
Roggero has had a busy year. Fresh off last year’s acquisition of Fuse by SiTV, he and his team have worked hard to meld Fuse and NUVO TV into one network. Then there’s the launch of brand new TV and digital channel FM, which will keep music at its core. Diversity has been top of mind with the changes. “As we re-launch Fuse to target a diverse, millennial audience of what we are calling ‘New Young Americans,’ it has been essential for us to not only reflect this audience in our programming, and to develop content that is culturally relevant to the most multicultural generation in U.S. history, but also to ensure that we hit several notes, not just one,” Roggero says.
What’s your biggest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months?
My biggest accomplishment this year has been finalizing the acquisition of Fuse, and working with our incredible team towards not only re-launching the network as one that expands its scope well beyond its music roots, but also in creating a new TV and digital network – FM – virtually from scratch.
How do you define diversity?
I define diversity in two ways: diversity of cultural background and diversity of interests. As we re-launch Fuse to target a diverse, Millennial audience of what we are calling “New Young Americans,” it has been essential for us to not only reflect this audience in our programming, and to develop content that is culturally relevant to the most multicultural generation in U.S. history, but also to ensure that we hit several notes, not just one.
How can cable better support diversity?
The industry spends a lot of time thinking about and creating solutions around issues like cord cutting and cord shaving – as it should. The reality is that future potential customers are watching more video content than ever before, but across more devices than ever, at the times and days they desire. The traditional, linear TV model, while still relevant and not at all ‘dead,’ is indeed evolving. But the other big change is in the cultural composition of this young, Millennial audience. In order to best support diversity, this make-up needs to be recognized, embraced and programmed to.
