Click on the Video Below and Sample a Session from a previous Digital Hollywood event. For Additional Video Sessions, Click Here Media Summit 2008 Wednesday, March 12 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM Session A: One on One Conversation: Susan Lyne, President and Chief Executive Officer, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Interviewed by: Michael Kassan, Entertainment and Media Consultant Susan Lyne was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MLSO) in November 2004. Ms. Lyne is responsible for all aspects of the public media and merchandising company, which includes Publishing, Internet, Broadcasting and Merchandising business segments. During her tenure, the company has forged numerous licensing deals, including the development of the Martha Stewart Collection of home merchandise with Macy’s, Martha Stewart-branded communities with KB Home, a Martha Stewart Crafts line of paper-based crafting and storage supplies with EK Success, and a co-branded food line with Costco. In November 2006, The Wall Street Journal cited Ms. Lyne as one of “50 Women to Watch.” The previous month, Ms. Lyne was named “Publishing Executive of the Year” by Advertising Age, and Martha Stewart Living topped Media Week’s first-ever Brand Blazer’s List, featuring the top ten magazines to cultivate new revenue streams by extending the core brand. In April 2007, New York Women in Communications honored Ms. Lyne with a Matrix Award. In addition to serving as a member of the Company’s board of directors, which she joined in June 2004, Ms. Lyne serves on the boards of CIT Group Inc., The Posse Foundation, the New School for Social Research, and the Magazine Publishers Association. Ms. Lyne has 25 years of experience in the television, publishing and film industries. Her background ranges from creating and launching a major national magazine, overseeing the development and production of celebrated television movies and miniseries, to developing hit primetime entertainment programming. Prior to joining MSLO, Ms. Lyne served as President of ABC Entertainment from January 2002 to April 2004, where she oversaw the development of recent hits including “Desperate Housewives,” “Lost” and “Extreme Makeover, Home Edition.” She also shepherded other familiar programs, including “8 Simple Rules,” “The Bachelor” and “Hope and Faith.” Along with her programming and management responsibilities, she regularly served as the entertainment division’s principal voice on strategic direction to the advertising and investment communities. Ms. Lyne joined Disney/ABC in January 1996 as Executive Vice President, Acquisitions, Development, and New Business for Walt Disney Pictures and Television. In March 1998, she moved to ABC, where she was in charge of the network’s movies and miniseries, reviving this form with such critically acclaimed ratings successes as “Life with Judy Garland,” “Tuesdays With Morrie,” “Anne Frank” and the musical adaptation of “Annie,” all of which won multiple Emmy Awards. During her tenure, ABC’s original movies and miniseries regularly dominated the ratings charts and earned numerous awards, including the Peabody, Golden Globe, Humanitas, Director’s Guild, and Screen Writer’s Guild, as well as multiple Emmys. Before turning to television and film, Ms. Lyne spent 15 years in the magazine publishing industry. In 1987, she created and launched Premiere Magazine for News Corp. For eight years, she served as editor-in-chief and publication director, establishing Premiere as an industry leader. Ms. Lyne has extensive experience as a magazine editor at City, Francis Ford Coppola’s San Francisco weekly, New Times and The Village Voice. As managing editor of The Village Voice from 1978 to 1982, Ms. Lyne oversaw the editorial and production departments and expanded the paper’s feature well, bringing in a group of talented young feature writers. In 1981, The Voice was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Reporting. Michael Kassan, Entertainment and Media Consultant: Michael E. Kassan is a internationally recognized leader in the area of media and entertainment. Mr. Kassan has acted as a development consultant presently to brands and companies including Home Depot, National Lampoon, Visible World, DIC Entertainment, Mindshare Worldwide, TV Guide, FBC (Fact Based Communications), Brandsense, Warner Home Entertainment, Revolution Studios, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Microsoft, Verizon, Constellation Ventures (Bear Stearns), Cerberus Capital Management and The Leverage Group, BNC, Cimarron Group. 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), at the time, 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 has acted as a director and advisor to many charitable and community organizations, including 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 has served on the following Boards as Director: H.E.L.P Group, Big Brothers of Los Angeles, Stephen S. Wise Temple and Skirball Cultural Center.