Years in Media & Broadband: 19
Education: Merchant Marine Academy, NYU
My personal superpower is: If it floats, I can drive it…
Number of times flown in the past year?
Zero… but I cannot wait to get on a plane now that I got my jab! Illyria, here I come!
My prediction for the future of regional sports networks: I think streaming platforms will use their scale and ability to cross-subsidize to pay for the continued migration of content away from traditional carriage.
What show/movie hasn’t been rebooted that you wish would be? Look to the classics, I say! I would much rather see a great, like “Key Largo” or “Sunset Blvd” rebooted than sit through anything fast nor furious. OK, Boomer?
What sort of broadband will the average U.S. household need in five years? A gig will be table stakes and managed WiFi will no longer be a premium upsell.
Status of your sourdough bread starter? I am clearly more of a sourdough bread “finisher” than a “starter.”
My proudest professional achievement over the past 12 months is… Without any doubt it was when Armstrong’s project, extending fiber-to-the-home broadband across the most rural areas of NY, passed 2000 miles of new fiber on our way to a 4000 mile goal accomplishing a 10X expansion of homes-passed in that state. All of which was made possible through the thoughtful and responsible use of public investment in infrastructure. The smiles on the faces of residents when they test the gigabit-capable speeds for the first time after an install is just priceless.
What’s a habit you’re keeping post-pandemic? Enjoying the gift to myself of dedicating a firm 30 minutes at the end of each day, to be alone with my thoughts and simply sit in a comfortable chair and write.
Favorite C-SPAN Bus memory? The look on Bill Bresnan’s face when a now former Senator and Commerce Chair asked him, in all seriousness, how he had enjoyed that long ride from NY to Butte Montana on the C-Span bus. I won’t tell you what Pat said about the matter on the flight home later.
How does the country narrow the digital divide? One mile of fiber at a time… Kidding aside, there is no mystery to achieving a durable solution. Policymakers must finally and accurately map where there is fiber and where there isn’t. Then, when allocating infrastructure spending, we need to continue to leverage the extraordinary existing expertise and vast capital investment already made by the Nation’s Broadband companies, through the implementation of accountable and responsible incentivization programs that make further extension to the “Have-Nots” a sustainable investment for those operators willing to come to the table.
If you could host a Clubhouse chat with anyone, who would it be? Having reread some of the classics during the pandemic, Socrates. “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”
How has the pandemic forever changed programming? App driven streaming becoming nearly ubiquitous as the primary method of video consumption.
Favorite mask? Huckberry makes a surprisingly comfortable mask from merino wool.
How many TikTok dances have you learned? Seriously?
What’s the future of direct-to-consumer streaming look like? Deep-search, cross-platform availability of content, via an ISP provided, whole home operating system architecture.
My comfort TV binge? Britbox “the Durrells on Corfu.”
Your pandemic theme song? Johnny Cash, I been everywhere man… just for the irony.
What are you most looking forward to this summer? Flying to Europe and spending time with family in the old country.
Last podcast listened to: Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell me! On NPR.
