Tuesday, September 24 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM Session C: TV Networks and Interactivity - Evolving Content & Business Models TV networks have embraced interactivity for almost a decade, both with standalone Website content and synchronized, Enhanced TV content. Much has changed over that time, including technological barriers, assumptions about consumer preferences, business models, and the economic climate for interactive experimentation. What's working and what's not? What can the industry expect to see over the next 24 months? Is there a future for synchronized content, or is "interactive TV" destined to be only about VOD and SVOD? In this session we bring together top programming executives and creators who are dealing with what it means to leverage and extend their on-air television programming to the Internet or into the Interactive TV space. Martin Yudkovitz, President, NBC Digital Media and Executive Vice President, NBC William Corbin, Vice President, Interactive Production, A&E Television Networks William F. Allman, Sr. Vice President, General Manager, New Media, Discovery.com Kyra Reppen, General Manager, NickJr.com Craig Engler, General Manager, SciFi.com & SciFi Magazine Todd Tarpley, Vice President, Interactive Media, Bravo Networks, Moderator Martin J. Yudkovitz has been President of NBC Digital Media since November of 1995. In July, 2000, he was also named an Executive Vice President of NBC. As an 18-year management veteran of the company, Mr. Yudkovitz has established a reputation for consistent innovation, strategic leadership and unprecedented growth for NBC. He has played a key role in almost all major NBC new business initiatives since the mid-1980’s, working in virtually every area of the company, including News, Sports and Entertainment, Cable and Broadcast, Domestic and International and Traditional and New Media. Among the highlights of his NBC career have been the following: • Mr. Yudkovitz was among the small, core Executive Group that developed the strategic plan for, and launched, CNBC Cable TV in 1989, NBC’s first entry into Cable TV. • Mr. Yudkovitz was the primary architect of the deals that created MSNBC Cable, NBC’s second Cable TV venture, and MSNBC.com, the world’s leading Internet News site, both launched in 1996. • Mr. Yudkovitz founded NBC Digital Media in 1995. As President of NBC Digital Media, he devised and implemented NBC’s New Media business plans and strategy, partnerships, investments and new businesses. These businesses included NBC’s joint venture with CNET to acquire and operate the Snap Internet portal service and the subsequent design, creation and supervision of NBCi, an independent, public company that quickly grew to become the 6th largest Internet service in the world, as well as the eventual re-acquisition of NBCi by NBC in 2001. • Mr. Yudkovitz created and supervised NBC’s extensive relationship with Microsoft, including the successful and profitable joint ventures of MSNBC.com, NBC.com, NBCSports.com and NBCOlympics.com, the merger of CNBC.com with MSN Money, a broad array of Internet Entertainment initiatives and several ground-breaking individual projects at the cutting edge of Digital TV. • Mr. Yudkovitz led the business side of NBC’s two largest television endeavors, the 1988 Seoul Olympics, NBC’s first Olympics telecast, and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, NBC’s largest single event to date. He also won and Emmy Award for his work in creating a music album tied to an on-air Olympic music video series. • Mr. Yudkovitz serves on the Board of Directors of A&E/The History Channel, as well as several other corporate Boards. He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Rutgers University, as well as the Boards of several other non-profit/charitable foundations. • Mr. Yudkovitz began his NBC career in January of 1984 when he became Sr. Council in the Law Department. Before NBC, Mr. Yudkovitz was an Associate in the New York law firm Kelley Drye and Warren. He received his BA from Rutgers University in 1976 and his JD from Columbia University School of Law in 1979. William Corbin, Vice President, Interactive Production, A&E Television Networks: William Corbin is Vice President, Interactive Production for A&E Television Networks. In this role, Mr. Corbin oversees all Interactive design, marketing, production and editorial content for AETN’s web sites including www.AandE.com; www.HistoryChannel.com; and www.Biography.com. An Internet pioneer with over a decade of experience in production, marketing, and the development of New Media and Interactive properties, Mr. Corbin joined AETN from RestaurantRow.com, where he served as the Executive Vice President. Prior to that, Mr. Corbin was Executive Producer and Director of Business at CBS’ New Media Division, where he oversaw the launch and development of CBS.com. Previously, Mr. Corbin was in charge of technology segments as a producer for Fox and their cable property, FX. Mr. Corbin is a graduate of the University of Maine and a member of the Board of Advisors for the Society for Internet Advancement, based in San Francisco. Todd Tarpley, Vice President, Interactive Media, Bravo Networks: With fifteen years of experience in television and interactive media, prior to joing Bravo Networks, Todd's worked at companies including The History Channel, A&E Network, Viacom, ABC, NBC, HBO, and Lifetime. While at A&E Television Networks, he established the division in 1995 and launched award-winning Web sites HistoryChannel.com, AandE.com, and Biography.com, as well as successful ecommerce, ad sales, and enhanced television initiatives. Equitrends named all three sites among the top ten Web sites in overall quality in 2001, and HistoryChannel.com was nominated for a 2001 Webby Award. Mr. Tarpley previously served on the core project team that developed and launched The History Channel. He established the network’s Research department, oversaw implementation of Nielsen service, and contributed to the network’s start-up business plan. As a media researcher at Yale University’s Family Television Research Center, Mr. Tarpley contributed to a report to Congress on the feasibility of launching a national Ready-to-Learn public television initiative. Mr. Tarpley has written chapters of two textbooks on children’s media. Mr. Tarpley served in production capacities for programs on ABC, NBC, HBO, and Lifetime, and began his television career an intern for "Late Night With David Letterman" on NBC. He holds an MBA from Yale University, an MA in History from the University of Iowa, and a BFA in Film from New York University. Kyra Reppen is the vice president, general manager of NickJr.com, the leading destination for parents with young children. NickJr.com is created and operated by Nickelodeon Online, a division of Nickelodeon. Ms. Reppen is responsible for business growth, strategy and creative development for NickJr.com. During her tenure, Ms. Reppen has successfully repositioned Nickjr.com from a television promotional site to the #1 destination for parents with young children. Under Ms. Reppen’s direction, NickJr.com offers a breadth of activities, advice and information designed to help parents make the most of their time with their kids. Ms. Reppen led the development of a variety of TV / Internet programs, including NickJr.’s "Dora the Explorer" and TVLand’s "Ultimate Fan Search," as well as the development of the first 3D online game for preschoolers. In addition to NickJr.com, Ms. Reppen is responsible for directing site operations and convergence efforts for Nickelodeon’s Nick-at-Nite/Tvland.com and TheNewTNN.com. Previously, Ms. Reppen served in a variety of business development and legal positions for Nickelodeon, including vice president, Business Development & Operations for Nick Online, and senior counsel, Law and Business Affairs for Nickelodeon. Prior to Nickelodeon, Ms. Reppen served as corporate counsel for MTV Networks. Before MTV Networks, Ms. Reppen served in corporate associate positions for leading New York law firms Winston & Strawn, Dewey Ballantine and Schulte Roth & Zabel. Ms. Reppen is a graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of Law, where she received a J.D., and Wellesley College, where she earned a B.A. in Art History. William F. Allman is Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Interactive New Media Group at Discovery Communications Inc. His primary duties involve the strategic planning of content and day-to-day management of Discovery.com and creating content for ITV and Broadband applications. Mr. Allman’s core mission is to create a strategic vision of interactive content for DCI properties including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, The Travel Channel, DiscoveryHealth, DiscoveryKids, as well as the DCI Digital Networks: Civilization, Science, Wings, and Home & Leisure. Allman has been involved in Interactive Content for more than a decade. Previously, Allman was the founding manager and editor for the U.S. News & World Report Web site, which launched in November, 1992. As a member of the core team that shaped the site, Allman guided the U.S. News & World Report online offering to become a highly trafficked and profitable business. He also developed and edited U.S. News’ first CD-ROM project, ‘Getting into College.’ Allman was also responsible for launching U.S. News & World Report on Compuserve during the earliest days of Interactive Media, where he was the host of the first live cybercast from the White House with Vice President Al Gore. Allman began his career as a science writer, helping to create the award-winning magazine Science 80, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He then moved to U.S. News & World Report as a senior science writer and editor. Allman has authored three books: Newton at the Bat: The Science of Sports (Putnam); Apprentices of Wonder: Inside the Neural Network Revolution (Bantam) and The Stone Age Present: The Evolution of Everyday Life (Simon & Schuester), and numerous cover stories. His work has also been featured in The New York Times Review of Books, The Washington Post, Folio, Technology Review, Esquire, and Omni magazines. Mr. Allman has a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Biology from Brown University.