David Manougian
(pictured)
Title: CEO, Golf Channel; EVP
Comcast sports programming
Age: 46
Ken Solomon
Title: Chairman/CEO, Tennis
Channel
Why Them? The pair has made
great strides in strengthening their own niche nets through
comprehensive coverage. Former tennis ball boy Solomon’s
now smiting wicked forehands for Tennis Channel, which
owing to his leadership now owns TV rights to matches from 3
Grand Slam events: the French Open, the Australian Open and
Wimbledon. Fly fisherman Manougian helped Golf Channel
ink a 15-year rights deal with the PGA, and in Jan the net
launched telecasts of each of the tour’s money events. The
alliances tender a lot of Roger Federer and Tiger Woods air-time, respectively, which drives interest and viewership—and it
certainly doesn’t hurt that both sports enjoy affluent adherents.
Also of note: Solomon’s bold initiatives unleashed during the
inaugural French Open telecasts, including round-the-clock
coverage with partner ESPN2, multi-screen mosaics on DISH
and Direc TV, and broadband access at TennisChannel.com;
and Golf’s successful foray into original programming, including “Fore Inventors Only” and the “Big Break” series. CH
83Indie Power
82Big Controversy
Mark
Silverman
Why Him? While refusing to relent to the carriage
demands of big MSOs
such as Comcast and Time
Warner Cable, Silverman
remains a staunch and
loyal proponent of the conference’s athletics content
and has been handsomely
rewarded for his steadfastness. Silverman and the net
have placed cleat prints in
nearly 30mln nationwide
homes, including about 6mln
in the 8 conference states. Outspoken Big Ten cmsr Jim
Delany and Fox Sports execs have been a key component
of the net’s relentless distribution offense. This nucleus
believes the recent tip-off of basketball season will help
their carriage cause, and many industry pundits agree that
more games (than football) will lead to an increased outcry
from fans that are unable to watch them. Don’t be surprised
if the net takes it to cable’s “Big House” before Jan, with
Silverman leading the way. CH
Title: Pres, Big Ten Network
Lawrence A. Aidem (pictured)
Title: President/CEO, Sundance Channel
Age: “40-ish”
Evan Shapiro
Title: EVP/GM, IFC TV
Age: “Older than I thought I'd ever be.”
Accomplishments of Jackie
Woodman,” which takes
similarly jaded (and hilarious)
swipes at showbiz. Consider
us to be unabashed fans of
these indie stars. MG
Why Them? There’s something about all things indie that’s
just… cool. By showcasing indie films and shows with an
“indie” feel, Aidem and Shapiro get to coast on that vibe.
True, neither channel gets the numbers of a USA or HBO…
but that wouldn’t feel very indie now would it? Under
Aidem, Sundance was the first to launch an environmental programming block—“The Green”—and even initiate
an internal “greening” process at the Sundance Channel
offices. And the very original “Nimrod Nation” dares to put a
red-state spin on the reality TV genre. Shapiro, meanwhile,
continues to get high marks at IFC, developing great shows
like “The Business,” which comically skewers the very indie
film business that IFC so ably promotes, and “The Minor
Larry Aidem
Top personal achievement in 2007: “Seeing my
daughter off to college... with minimal consumption of controlled substances (by me & my wife).”
Three things I would take with me to a desert
island: “1) Pocket Fisherman, 2) Spam (in case #1 doesn’t
work), 3) Grey Goose (goes well with fish or spam).”
Favorite piece of tech: “Dental Floss (Mint-flavored).”
Evan Shapiro
Top personal achievement in 2007: “Getting ‘Indie
Sex’ on the air and nabbing ‘Trapped In The Closet’ for ifc.
com.” Three things I would take with me to a desert island: “Food, water, a plane.”
