68 | Trial by Fire
Kathryn A. Zachem
Title: VP, Regulatory and State Legislative Affairs, Comcast
Age: 50
Education: George Washington U, BA;
George Mason U School of Law, JD
69 | HD Be Free
Mac Budill
Title: EVP, Programming, Cablevision
Systems Corp
Last Year: #51
Age: 45
Education: Yale, BA; Harvard, MBA
70 | Hill People
Rob Kennedy (right)
and Susan Swain
Titles: Co-Presidents, C-SPAN
Last Year: #60
Ages: Old enough to vote
Education: U of Scranton, BA (Swain);
U of Chicago, MBA (Kennedy)
Why Him? The 17-year Cablevision vet is Why Them? If you had a hankering to
Why Her? Since she reps the biggest regarded as one of cable’s smartest (look watch Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
MSO, Zachem, who joined Comcast at that Ivy League education), but also explain the latest version of the bailout plan
early this year to head regulatory affairs one of its most personable and funny. Yet to a lame duck congressional committee
from the D.C. office, becomes an instant facing him on the other side of a negotiat- late last month you could have watched
power player. And she’s had more items ing table is not a picnic. Still Budill and his it on C-SPAN, viewed it as a stream at
piled onto her plate than a chef on Food team have forged a slew of VOD, SVOD, cspan.org, listened to it on C-SPAN Radio
Network. She’s dealt with hot issues such HD deals, one reason why more than 90% on XM Satellite, or, if you were in the DC
as Comcast’s hindrance of Bit Torrent’s of Cablevision’s 3mln+ subs take digital, area, on WCSP FM. You can thank Swain,
P2P file sharing, network neutrality and giving it the best penetration rate in the biz. Kennedy and Brian Lamb for that (and of
Kevin Martin’s ongoing demands for lower H-Free: Budill and team forged deals course your cable op for funding C-SPAN).
cable rates. Remember to breathe, Kathy. that allow Cablevision to offer 65 free Two of cable’s nicest, Swain, who’s also
HD channels, a major asset vs the a host on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal,
Year Ahead: competition. and Kennedy, who oversees finance,
Without more clarity about the attitude Mac Language: Budill’s work has let technology and affiliate relations, are an
of the FCC and the rest of the Obama Cablevision launch some dozen inter- exception to our rule of one exec per CFAX
administration toward telecom, the future national in-language packages (Span- 100 slot. Since they share a title, have
of regulatory affairs is murky. ish, Russian, Filipino), a must in NY’s worked together for nearly 20 years and
melting pot. were promoted on the same day in ’06, we
Year Ahead: thought it was fair to co-locate them.
More programming for one of cable’s
best-run MSOs.
Favorite Foods: Everything but liver
(or other organs), and sundried tomatoes
Drink of Choice: White French wines
Music: Springsteen and anything but
what my 13-year-old daughter listens to
Unnecessary Luxury I Like Most:
Ridiculously expensive handbags
Fave TV Show: World Series of Poker
Last Book Read: With my new entry
into the cable industry, a good friend
from the industry suggested Cutthroat:
High Stakes & Killer Moves on the
Electronic Frontier by Stephen Keating.
Interesting read.
In ’09 I Resolve To: Learn to use my
new Comcast remote control
Hero: Katherine Graham
KF
Restaurant: Walter’s
Drink of Choice: Zima
Music: Magnetic Fields
Unnecessary Luxury I Like Most:
Velcro and duct tape (tie)
Last Book Read: The Road by Cor-mac McCarthy
In ’09 I Resolve To: Teach my 6th
grade basketball team to play man
defense
Favorite Interactive Content:
Webkinz World
Sports Team: Green Bay Packers
SA
Our House: Later this month C-SPAN’s
cameras will have unprecedented access to the White House for a special
that Swain exec produced.
Musical Moment: If you had very
good eyesight, you’d have seen Kennedy
tickling the ivories with the TV Rejects at
last spring’s Battle of the Bands during
The Cable Show ’08. The event raised
$300K for the city of New Orleans.
Year Ahead:
Politics isn’t going away, neither is
C-SPAN, thank goodness.
SA
