Bertino’s focus has been on increasing distribution for the Pop network on both the traditional MVPD side and digital OTT. In securing carriage agreements, she and her team continue to add Pop content to millions of households. “The proliferation of OTT services has been the most dramatic game changer I’ve seen in the past few years for television network distribution,” she says. “Finding a balance of honoring our traditional MVPD partners while meeting consumer demand for programming on-the-go has been a major technologically induced dynamic that our industry is still trying to figure out.”
What’s a recent example of a step forward for women in the media industry?
There are many strong case studies that highlight the advancement of women in the media industry. Every day, the amazing, quality work produced by the countless women in key positions in our industry demonstrates how far we’ve come. As an example of how we are moving forward at Pop, we’ve been adding shows like “Clique,” “Flack,” and “Florida Girls” to our upcoming slate as part of our programming strategy in championing diverse female stories on Pop (both in front of and behind the camera).
Who is an inspirational woman you admire, and why?
I admire Sandra Bullock for her successful career (the Oscar winner recently starred in the all-female-led movie “Ocean’s 8”), her timeless persona, business ventures and philanthropy efforts. However, most importantly, I admire her because she is a strong advocate for adoption. She is a single mother of two adopted children and, being adopted myself, I can relate to her desire to “give back” to less fortunate children and give them the lives they deserve, which is very inspirational for me.
What’s been the most dramatic change in your sector of the business today vs. three years ago?
The proliferation of OTT services has been the most dramatic “game changer” I’ve seen in the past few years for television network distribution. Finding a balance of honoring our traditional MVPD partners while meeting consumer demand for programming on-the-go has been a major technologically -induced dynamic that our industry is still trying to figure out. Dramatic changes can be good, especially from a competitive standpoint, but with anything, change is and always will be chaotic and undefined and the balance of such will have to be determined moving forward.
