Thursday, January 9 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Session A: DH1: VOD-SVOD - The 500 Channel DTV Universe Is Here! Beginning the Rollout of New Content and Services Arguably as important as the VCR or even cable itself, the arrival of DTV, with its ability to deliver virtually unlimited subscription content, has poised the entertainment industry on the precipice of massive growth. For a decade, industry leaders have speculated on the future of the 500 channel universe and now it is here. With DTV rolling out in communities across the country, the opportunity to innovate, to offer unique and exciting subscription and VOD packages will be the ongoing challenge for the industry. The entire universe of pay services will be up for grabs in the coming five years. The combination of new technologies, new services, new partnerships, content innovation, aggressive marketing, not to mention new investment will remake the landscape. DTV is the next assault on network programming and consumer habits. It is nothing short of being the future. Sarah Cotsen, Senior Vice President, Interactive Ventures, Home Box Office Steve Brenner, President & CEO, iN DEMAND L.L.C. Larry Gerbrandt, Chief Content Officer/Senior Analyst, Kagan World Media Michael Snyder, VP of Marketing, Comcast Matthew Murphy, Vice President of Interactive Sales, ESPN Wes Nichols, President & CEO, TEQUILA\North America John Beyler, Senior Vice President, Technology Operations. Starz Encore Group LLC Ken Rutkowski, founder, Ken Radio, Moderator Sarah Cotsen, Vice President, Interactive Ventures, HBO: Sarah Cotsen is senior vice president, interactive ventures, for Home Box Office. She is responsible for the strategic planning, development and day-to-day operations of HBO on Demand, HBO consumer websites and the development of the HBO brand across new technology platforms. Previously, Cotsen was vice president, interactive ventures. Before joining HBO, Cotsen was vice president of corporate development, BMG Entertainment NA, where, since 1998, she was responsible for the company’s strategic business planning and the restructuring of its entertainment division. Prior to joining BMG, Cotsen worked at Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. from 1994 to 1998, where she was the vice president, general manager of Turner Online for Turner Entertainment Group. She managed all online strategic planning and development of the Websites for Turner Entertainment Group, which includes TBS Superstation, Turner Network Television and Cartoon Network. Cotsen launched Spiv, Turner’s first original entertainment Website. Additionally, she wrote the business plan for Cartoon Network Online, the Web extension of the popular Cartoon Network television brand. Prior to joining Turner, Cotsen worked at Johnson & Johnson in marketing on Sesame Street Vitamins and at Lazard Freres & Co. in mergers & acquisitions. Cotsen holds a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College and a MBA from Harvard Business School. Michael Snyder is the vice president of marketing for Comcast Cable’s Eastern Division. In his career with Comcast, he has been responsible for marketing, sales and programming operations including developing and implementing new product launches and integrated acquisition and upgrade marketing campaigns. Snyder is responsible for overseeing customer acquisition and upgrade initiatives that have resulted in the Eastern Division consistently exceeding budgeted basic, digital and online subscriber goals across a current customer base of 3.2 million in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut. In his 5 _ years at Comcast, Snyder has been instrumental in raising customer awareness about the Company’s cutting-edge products including digital cable, high-speed internet service and HDTV. This October, the Eastern Division will unveil a major multimedia VOD launch campaign in Philadelphia. A talented director and producer, Snyder has won a number of awards including the Philadelphia Advertising Club’s Addy Award for best 30 second spot for his television spot, "Dollar Store." Snyder is also an active member of Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM). Michael and his wife Julie have two daughters, Nicole & Jessica. The Snyder’s reside in Yardley, PA. Larry Gerbrandt, Chief Content Officer/Senior Analyst, Kagan World Media: Larry Gerbrandt has spent a career spanning three decades devoted to the business of "content". Indeed, his first email address (which he has maintained for almost 10 years) was contentguy@aol.com and it succinctly sums up his professional focus: an exploration of the creation, distribution, monetization and valuation of content, with an emphasis on the entertainment and media industries. His career began in the publishing business in Dallas in the early 1970s. That was followed by a foray into still photography, TV and commercial film production and then by a stint managing private cable systems along the Front Range of Colorado. He joined Kagan, a leading media research and valuation firm, in 1984 as an associate editor and as senior vice president and senior analyst, developed the company’s entertainment division. He also oversaw Kagan’s investment in Cable World Magazine, which was subsequently sold to Cowles Media. In the wake of Kagan’s sale to Primedia in November 2000, Gerbrandt was named Kagan World Media’s Chief Content Officer, overseeing its research, analysis, consulting and appraisal activities and is also responsible for new product and business development. He attended Colorado State University on a dual creative writing/plant pathology scholarship and graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Loretto Heights College in Denver (now known as Regis University). He lives with his wife of 29 years, Margo, and a black pug named Tess, in Carmel, CA home wired with the latest consumer electronics gadgets and a collection of over 350 DVDs. He and Margo have two grown children, Ryan and Lauren. Matthew Murphy, Vice President of Interactive Sales, ESPN: Matthew Murphy, vice president, pay-per-view and special markets distribution, is responsible for managing and developing strategies for ESPN’s domestic pay-per-view clearances and special markets distribution. Murphy also oversees the sales and licensing of ESPN’s pay-per-view products to its affiliates and develops strategies to ensure the network is fully maximizing its opportunities created by increasing capacity in the digital cable and DBS environments. Murphy is based at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, CT and reports directly to Sean Bratches, senior vice president of affiliate sales and marketing. Murphy joined ESPN as an account executive, eastern division in March 1993. In 1996, Murphy was promoted to senior account executive for the eastern division, and in 1997, he was elevated to the position of director, affiliate sales and marketing, northeast region. Prior to joining ESPN, he was a sales representative with NewsBank, Inc. in New Canaan, CT. Murphy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in European History from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. A New Canaan, CT native, Murphy was born October 20, 1967 and currently resides in West Hartford. Wes Nichols, President & CEO, TEQUILA\North America: Wes Nichols is responsible for strategic direction for clients as well as network purpose and expansion. Prior to launching TEQUILA\, Wes built from scratch an agency network called Direct Partners, which became one of the largest and more respected agencies globally, and eventually part of Omnicom Group, responsible for building DirecTV, EarthLink, Palm, Disney and other growth brands. Prior to founding Direct Partners, Wes was a member of the executive management team of NDMC, managing the efforts of this innovative venture capital marketing firm partly owned by Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette and GE Capital. Here, he was responsible for analyzing investment opportunities and structuring marketing programs for a number of blue chip, political and non-profit clients ranging from American Express and Time Warner to Operation Smile. Prior, he was with various direct marketing agencies in Chicago, Richmond and Baltimore, focused on strategic planning and account services for a variety of Fortune 500 companies, like Citicorp (Investment Services, Retail Banking, Citibank Illinois), MBNA America, Bank of New York, Fleet / Norstar, SunBank, Disney, Citibank, Cellular One, USAir and numerous others. Wes attended and matriculated from Randolph-Macon College, the Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Business School, with degrees in Cognitive Psychology, Business and Management. John Beyler, Senior Vice President, Technology Operations. Starz Encore Group LLC: John Beyler is senior vice president, technology operations at Starz Encore Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: L, LMCb). He oversees the technology department, Starz On Demand subscription VOD, information technologies, and production operations. In addition, Beyler tracks the latest new television audio, video and engineering technologies to ensure Starz Encore remains at the leading edge of television technology from both strategic and customer service perspectives. A television engineering and technology veteran, Beyler has 24 years experience in television systems engineering, design and management, with an emphasis on digital television distribution and computer support systems. He has presented numerous television engineering papers and holds three university degrees: a master’s of business administration from Fordham University, a master’s of science in computer science from the New York Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s of science in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois. Beyler joined Starz Encore from Home Box Office (HBO) in New York, where he was director of engineering. During his five years at HBO, Beyler managed the engineering for new and existing distribution technologies for HBO and Cinemax analog and digital networks, developing business strategies for new technologies in cable TV, satellite, broadband and direct broadcast satellite. Before joining HBO, he worked 13 years at CBS Inc. in New York with several engineering titles, most notably as director of broadcast services and transmission engineering, and taught computer programming at New York University’s School of Continuing Education. Starz Encore Group LLC (Starz Encore) is the largest provider of premium movie services in the United States with approximately 134 million pay units. Starz Encore offerings include the Starz Super Pak, with up to 12 digital movie channels and about 800 movies per month, and Starz On Demand, the first premium on-demand subscription offering and the only on-demand pay TV subscription service available on cable, satellite, and broadband platforms. Starz Encore is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: L, LMCb), www.starzencore.com.