35 | Sporting Life
David Levy
Title: President, Turner Sports
Age: Still Under 50
Education: Syracuse U, BS
37 | Brand Changers
Bob DeBitetto
and Nancy Dubuc
Titles: Pres/GM, A&E, Bio Channel
(Bob); EVP/GM, History (Nancy)
Ages: 50 (Bob), 39 (Nancy)
Last Year: #50
Education: SUNY Stony Brook, BA,
(Phi Beta Kappa); UCLA School of Law,
JD (honors) (Bob). Boston U (Nancy)
Why Him? Talk about success. Levy’s
pursuit of playoff baseball for TBS resulted in 4 games jumping onto cable’s
list of top 50 telecasts of ’07. Viewers
for this year’s AL championship trumped
last year’s NL series counterpart by
miles. Meanwhile TNT’s NBA coverage
continues to excel. Through a partnership forged this year Turner is proffering
the NBA its expertise in sales and digital
rights management and TBS is operating nba.com and out-of-market package
NBA League Pass. The partnership lets
RSNs stream local, in-market games
on their Web sites. And Turner Sports-powered pgatour.com has a graphical
live scoring app indicating shot trails, ball
location and performance of each golfer
for every PGA stop.
Big Break: The Red Sox reaching the
ALCS, helping to boost TBS’ playoff ratings, which were otherwise nondescript
as the presidential election and economic crisis grabbed widespread attention.
Year Ahead: Turner Sports’ digital
presence among several high-profile
sports offers great upside.
36 | Obama’s Coattails
Doug Herzog
Title: Pres, MTV Nets Ent Group
Last Year: #22
Age: 49
Education: Emerson College
Favorite Food: Everything not good
for you
Favorite Restaurant: Rao’s, NYC
Favorite Music: Rolling Stones
Unnecessary Luxury I Like Most:
Playing top 100 golf courses in the U.S.
Fave Show Not on My Net:
Entourage
CH
Why Them? We broke our rule about
putting 2 execs in a single slot, but
DeBitetto and Dubuc’s titles are so similar
we made an exception. They share more
Why Him? Herzog’s longtime baby, than this slot. Both remade A&E into a
Comedy Central, has done well this top 10 net, with Dubuc, in an earlier gig,
election cycle, thanks to Jon Stewart’s launching young-skewing hits like Grow-
cutting, exasperated coverage of the ing Up Gotti and Intervention. DeBitetto
campaign. The Daily Show delivered its continued the addiction theme in ’08 with
biggest audience ever Oct 29 (averag- The Cleaner, A&E’s first scripted series in
ing 3.6mln total viewers), thanks to an 6 years, which doubled the net’s prime
appearance by Barack Obama. Comedy avg and became its top series for 18-49s
president Michele Ganeless, who reports and 25-54s. Nothing illustrates Dubuc’s
to Herzog, has taken the net’s content quest for a new take on history better
to the Web in a big way; that may tickle than specials Life After People (seen by a
Herzog, but it no doubt makes some record 5.4mln viewers) and the less lofty
cable operators anxious. but stimulating All About Dung.
Big Break: Sarah Palin Cleaned Clock: Benjamin Bratt vehicle
Year Ahead: The Cleaner was renewed, and fabulous
Presidential elections come around 9/11 special 102 Minutes That Changed
only once every four years. America (seen by 14mln over 2 nights)
helped History to its best Sept and 3Q,
with adults 18-49 up 25% (Sept).
Year Ahead:
History’s strong numbers should continue
unabated; A&E’s launch of The Beast with
Patrick Swayze will grab ratings, but the
star’s cancer casts a shadow over the
series’ future.
Favorite Music: ’70s roots reggae
and funk
Favorite Show Not on My Network:
Friday Night Lights
Last Book Read: The Night Gardener
by George Pelecanos
Best Comedy Show I Had Nothing
to Do With: 30 Rock
I Wish My Kids Would: Pick up their
clothes
Traits I Most Admire in People:
Loyalty and honesty
Fave Teams: NY Yankees/NY Giants
Hero: Willie Nelson
SG
Bob DeBitetto
Trait I Most Admire in People:
Superficial beauty
Nancy Dubuc
Favorite Show Not on My Network:
Would 24 come back already!
SA
