Broadcasting
Cable Television Network

   Vice President Network Traffic - TV, OD, Interactive Wireless,

Washington, DC - USA based
FMS OIC reporting to Senior Executive Vice President, New York - USA

Client: A Media and Entertainment Conglomerate seeking to upgrade their traffic infrastructure from a management and asset perspective. This network with over 100,000,000 subs is advertising driven and will enjoy substantial growth based on programming initiatives from the parent company. Their facilities in Washington, DC will service all agencies as well as network sales offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit.

Search: Vice President – Network Traffic - All Platforms

Client Situation: The Executive Vice President of Network Sales felt it was essential to upgrade the traffic function internal and external to the organization. There was a clear need to enhance synergy to allow the network to have a system that they could grow into, as opposed to out of. The client needed to upgrade personnel, hardware and software along with management procedures. This systemic reorganization would require change management, formalized training and succession planning initiatives that did not exist before.

Executive Search Committee Member(s) Industry and Sector inclusion:

• Broadcasting Operations - Cable Television
• Advertising - Agency Side - Media
• Traffic, Inventory and Sales Planning Technology - Vendors

The EVP of Network Sales identified Filcro Media Staffing (FMS) and Tony Filson (TF) functioning as Officer in Charge of Search after conducting their own national identification efforts to identify the ideal traffic executive.

FMS was retained.

The FMS Officer in Charge of Search and EVP of Network Sales initiated and completed the entire search document after two phone calls. Based on FMS’s intimate knowledge of the client company and parent, along with extensive search experience in recruiting TV Broadcasting Network Traffic, Inventory, Planning and Operations executives, Filcro Media Staffing was able to proceed with the search the following business day.

The FMS OIC and the EVP of Network Sales felt that setting a new standard for Network Traffic meant that “current internal means” were of no relevance to establishing “new” performance criterion, technology and management programs as they did not currently exist in a form that would be acceptable in the “new” traffic environment.

FMS reviewed all hardware and software along with client supplied O&D charting to establish what resources could be utilized as part of the new EDI/Traffic infrastructure. Understanding what changes had to be made from a Human Resource perspective, directly or on a dotted-line were very important as we needed to identify from the beginning current strengths and weaknesses from a skill set perspective prior to discussing “change management”. The intent was to train and upgrade as many current employees as possible prior to implementing any other changes with the exception of one “Manager” who clearly did not have the skills or capacity to be part of the “new” Network infrastructure.

The EVP of Network Sales admired different characteristics of modality and efficacy from other networks. We established a search document that drew from multiple environments to set ideals that would be used during universe compilation.

Some of the challenges facing the new Vice President of Traffic (VPT) were:

• Change Management
• Training & Development
• Budget Controls
• Adaptation of New and Old Technology to Client Needs
• Team Building - EDI - Sales - Sales Services - MIS - Traffic - Inventory
• Agency Partnerships - Enhancing Relationships
• Succession Planning

Solution: FMS proceeded to Identify the "best in class" traffic executives from networks who presently exceeded the SUB’s of the client company. A proven record of success in dealing with technical ecology in a growing network was of primary interest. Based on the client’s current contractual hardware and software obligations, we started with a universe of companies that were based on similar infrastructures.

An executive capable of focusing, while maintaining an “open door”, policy on a holistic level would have to be identified. Employees, Clients and Vendors would all need leadership to properly implement such systemic positive change.

Team development was essential and with multiple offices located throughout the United States this executive would have to pull Inventory, Traffic, Sales, Sales Services, Broadcast Operations and MIS together seamlessly regardless of geography.

One part of our solution was to identify an executive who had also gone from a decentralized to centralized function in the past. This would solve many issues from the onset and let us concentrate on other skill sets. This “D to C” skill as we call it, usually requires a great deal of cheer leading and anyone who would be successful here, would have to be able to motivate many varied types of constituents.

As the EVP of Network Sales was so intent on setting new standards, it was easy to identify who was appropriate based on proven experience and success that coincided with his desired goals.

Successful candidate identified: A Vice President of Network Traffic based in Atlanta, GA. This VP of Network Traffic had Sales Services, Creative Services, Inventory, Programming, MIS, EDI and Master Control all falling under his umbrella.

This executive was responsible for all external and internal traffic functions for one of the most respected cable television networks in the world. The network as part of another major media and entertainment conglomerate was larger then the client company and everyone viewed this as a positive to facilitate accelerated career growth for the identified executive as he grew the Network’s traffic function.

The new VP had also facilitated similar technology and management changes in his previous environment. From “above, on, and below line” everyone we spoke with saw this person as a catalyst who made things happen. A great number of his staff in his previous environment(s) were promoted and he allowed those people to grow in and out of his department which said a lot about his devotion to his employees, the company and his effective mentoring skills. This VP also managed a larger staff in the past and his ability to manage people and technology was proven on every level of concern to the Executive Vice President. The hiring of new staff and setting of new standards was something he enjoyed and was successful with many times in the past.

This VP had a very skillful way of managing resources and work flow. His methodologies were quite sophisticated and he understood development issues better than most Traffic executives. He was able to assimilate and disseminate information in such a way that everyone felt included in the success of a project or simple everyday work flow. When he was given multiple network (multiplex) responsibilities in his previous environment he was able to make technological, training, budget and efficacy changes that increased performance allowing sales to sell more effectively. His ability to manage budgets and increase revenue at the same time was an outstanding skill. As the new Network was also becoming a multiplex this was an ideal fit.

The cultural fit was proper on every level and the transition from Atlanta to Washington, DC was very easy.

Note: This VP has been promoted to Senior Vice President and continues to be a valuable resource to the continued success of this multiplex now in 120,000,000 homes in the U.S. and additional subs OCUNUS.

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