10:45 AM - Noon
Session A:
Subscription Models in Music, Film and Information Content Distribution
The conversation is about subscriptions. Whether it’s the cable, satellite and Internet SVOD/VOD industry, the music streaming and MP3 industry, the radio industry or the information content industry, everyone is experimenting with subscriptions. In the cable industry, the original subscription model is being gussied up with new packages, genre choices and greater access to content. In the music industry, the goal is to strike some a necessary answer to the upside down world of Napster, and in the news and content industry, subscription models are being tested out every day to determine customer appetites. The question of which subscription model will serve which type of product is yet to be determined. In this session however, we bring together companies who are investing their futures on the answer.
Michael Kassan, co-President Digital Media & Entertainment Group, CenterSpan Communications
Chris Gladwin, CEO, FullAudio Corp.
Peter Csathy, President and COO, MUSICMATCH, Inc.
Erick Flannigan, Vice President Programming and Music Services, RealNetworks
Chris Kitze, CEO, Yaga Media
Steve Vickers, Vice President, Marketing, Teleknowledge
Antonette K. Goroch, Senior Analyst, Digital Tech Consulting, Moderator
Michael Kassan, co-President Digital Media & Entertainment Group, Ce
nterSpan Communications: Michael E. Kassan is a nationally recognized leader in the area of media and entertainment. Mr. Kassan currently operates on a consultative platform within these industries, representing such companies as CenterSpan Digital Media and Entertainment Group, CenterSpan Communications (CSCC: NASDAQ), Artist Direct (ARTD: NASDAQ), DIC Entertainment (a leader in children’s production), Verance Corporation (a media industry technology supplier), Unilever Corporation (world’s largest advertiser), The Home Depot, and Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Previously, Mr. Kassan was a founder and partner (with Frank Biondi, Howard Weitzman and Greg Meidel) in Massive Media Group, Inc., a technology driven company focusing on providing digital rights management (DRM) enabled applications and services to the entertainment and advertising markets. In addition, Mr. Kassan is an investor/advisor and board member of several new media and technology companies. Previously, Mr. Kassan was the President/Chief Operating Officer and Vice-Chairman of Initiative Media Worldwide a division of The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG:NYSE), the largest and most diversified media management company in the world, with more than 75 offices in North America, Europe and Asia. In 1997, he was named one of the top media executives in America by Advertising Age magazine. Mr. Kassan joined Initiative Media Worldwide in 1994 and was instrumental in the sale of the company to IPG. While there, he oversaw the day-to-day operations in North America and was the architect of the firm’s international expansion and grew media billings from $1.5 billion to over $10 billion. Mr. Kassan, an attorney was counsel to the Los Angeles law firm of Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser, Weil & Shapiro. He had been President and Chief Operating Officer of International Video Entertainment (Artisan Entertainment). Mr. Kassan is a director and advisor to many charitable and community organizations, currently serving on the Board of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, and previously serving on the Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy. He also has been Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on the Entertainment Industry in California and in 1998 was elected to the Board of the American Advertising Federation. Mr. Kassan serves on the following Boards as Director: H.E.L.P Group, Big Brothers of Los Angeles, Stephen S. Wise Temple and Skirball Cultural Center.Chris Kitze, CEO, Yaga: A proven entrepreneur with a successful trail of startups,
Chris Kitze co-founded Yaga, Inc. in September 2000. As CEO and chairman of the board, Kitze provides a strategic vision as well as extensive technology and electronic media expertise, from startups to multibillion-dollar market cap companies. Prior to Yaga, Inc., he was the CEO of NBC Internet (NASDAQ:NBCI), a company created in December 1999 as a result of the XOOM.com and Snap.com merger. Kitze also co-founded XOOM.com in September 1996, took it public in December 1998, and served as chairman of the board and secretary since its inception. With his Internet and marketing savvy, Kitze has started and sold three interactive companies. Prior to XOOM.com, Mr. Kitze co-founded Point Communications Corporation, a Web directory company that was acquired by Lycos in October 1995. Mr. Kitze remained and managed the Point division, as well as served as overall vice president of marketing for Lycos, where he helped take the company public with a $225 million valuation. Prior to founding Point, Kitze co-founded Aris Entertainment, which published interactive CD-ROM titles, including the award-winning MPC Wizard, MediaClips and Video Cube product lines. Aris Entertainment sold more than 2 million CD-ROM units in less than three years and was purchased by SoftKey International (now The Learning Company), a publicly-traded, $300 million company, in June 1994. Kitze is a recent recipient of Israel’s prestigious Albert Einstein Technology Award that recognizes path-breaking leaders who have pushed the envelope of technology in the service of mankind through their entrepreneurship and risk taking, enabling others to benefit from their cutting-edge technologies. Presently, Kitze serves on the boards of eVineyard and ShopEaze. Mr. Kitze holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado.Chris Gladwin, Chairman & CEO, FullAudio: Prior to FullAudio, Mr. Gladwin wa
s the founding CEO of the leading supplier of cordless network computers, Cruise Technologies. In one year he led Cruise Technologies to $3 million in revenue; distribution partnerships with Wyse, Motorola and IBM; and selection by ComputerWorld as one of the 100 Hottest Technology Companies in the U.S. Previously, Mr. Gladwin was a Director of Product Development and Product Management for mobile products at Zenith Data Systems. Mr. Gladwin is the primary inventor of the wireless thin client and is listed on 18 patent applications related to wireless remote interface technology. Mr. Gladwin holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Peter Csathy joined MUSICMATCH, Inc. in March 2002 as president and
COO. He is responsible for extending the company’s music and entertainment strategy, managing strategic partnerships, and overseeing legal, sales, finance and business development activities. MUSICMATCH is the leader in personalized music software and services, and Csathy’s appointment represents MUSICMATCH’s ongoing commitment to extend the company’s media strategy. Csathy is an entertainment and media industry veteran and brings a wealth of industry relationships and expertise to the MUSICMATCH executive team. His entertainment roots include executive positions with online and offline companies in both established and start-up environments. Most recently, Csathy served as COO of eNow, Inc., a global media and technology company delivering breaking news and information, where he was responsible for the company’s overall operations and execution, and successful business development and financing efforts. Prior to eNow, Csathy was senior vice president of Universal Studios Recreation Group, driving all major international and domestic new business opportunities, strategic initiatives, acquisitions and joint ventures for the division. He has also served as vice president of Savoy Pictures Entertainment and held an executive position at New Line Cinema. Csathy received his M.A., J.D. from Harvard Law School, and his B.A., summa cum laude, in Political Science from the University of Minnesota. Csathy, a passionate music fan and world traveler, lives in San Diego with his wife and young daughter.Erik Flannigan, Vice President Music Services and Programming, RealNetworks: Mr. Flannigan joined RealNetworks in 2001 and has played a key role in bringing music services to the consumer market - both those blending the offerings from major labels and those capitalizing on the popularity of Internet radio. Prior to RealNetworks, Mr. Flannigan had extensive experience with the Walt Disney Internet Group in top website management (including ABC.com, Movies.com, MrShowbiz.com, and WallofSound.com) and in content syndication, distribution, and acquisition. Mr. Flannigan began his career as a music editor and critic for industry publications. Mr. Flannigan holds a BA in English from the University of Washington.
Steve Vickers, VP Marketing, TeleKnowledge: Steve Vickers brings to TeleKnowledge over 15 years of marketing and strategy experience. Steve was formerly a manager with McKinsey & Company, the leading strategy consultants. Working in the US and Europe, he consulted to Fortune 500 companies, addressing marketing and strategy issues associated with the adoption of new technologies. Prior to joining TeleKnowledge, Steve also worked for several technology start-ups in the communications market, including Lobby7. Steve started his career in Consumer Marketing and Brand Management, where he worked for several leading packaged goods companies. Steve has an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, an MA in Marketing from the British Chartered Institute of Marketing, and a BA from Oxford University.
Antonette Goroch is senior analyst with Digital Tech Consulting. A rese
archer, analyst and executive in the media industry for over ten years, Goroch has authored expert analysis focusing on digital media entertainment and technology for a wide range of firms, such as Paul Kagan Associates, The Carmel Group, Adams Media Research, Cowles Business Media and Digital Tech Consulting. Her work has also appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Satellite Communications, Broadcasting & Cable, and The Red Herring Magazine. Goroch has led strategic consulting projects with companies including Sony, Showtime, DirecTV, EchoStar, Loral, Unicycle Records and NTT. Industries she covers regularly include cable, digital satellite (radio & TV) Internet commerce/content, digital media and rights management, and consumer electronics. Goroch holds a B.A. In Political Science from Cal State Humboldt, and an M.A. in Radio, TV, Film from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Digital Tech Consulting (DTC) is a market research firm providing strategic information and analysis to help companies succeed in the consumer digital marketplace. DTC's research centers around primary market intelligence, as well as quantitative and qualitative information on a variety of consumer digital products and services.