 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
36. TiVo’s Cable PlayTom RogersTitle: President/CEO, TiVO Age: 52 Years in Industry: “More than 20.” Last year: 12 Why Him? After revolutionizing the way we watch TV (and inventing a new verb, as in the phrase, “Don’t worry, I’m TiVoing it”), TiVo once looked invincible. But Tom Rogers woke up a couple years ago to find his company merely treading water as the DVR industry began flourishing around it. His answer? Make friends with the cable operators that could otherwise render TiVo as powerless as a commercial during a prerecorded show. Fortunately, several MSOs seem to believe in the same concept of mutual gratification. With Comcast as the critical icebreaker and more recently Cox onboard for offering branded TiVo boxes, the company is eyeing about 30 million cable homes and looking to open additional cable doors. TiVo’s favorable ruling against EchoStar over patent infringement is another check in the company’s box, helping fuel a recent upswing in the company’s stock. - CAO I knew the cable industry was for me when: “After graduating from law school and spending a couple years at a Wall Street law firm, I embraced my passion for television and moved to Washington so that I could go to work as counsel to the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance. It was here in the public policy world that I really began to understand the important role that cable would play in shaping the future media world. After having a direct hand in passage of the cable.” Defining career moment: “The launch of CNBC, and the acquisition and merger of CNBC with the Financial News Network.” Three things I would take with me to a deserted island: “My family, cable TV with a TiVo, my Blackberry.” Favorite TV shows not on your network: “I love to watch 'The McLauglin Group,' 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos,' 'Meet the Press,' and 'Fox News Sunday.' I can watch all of these shows, even though they are on around the same time, because I have TiVo, and can speed through all four of them in about an hour.” Favorite sports team: The New York Knicks. I wish cable would: “Rollout TiVo service across every cable household in the country, so that more people could enjoy the features that make TiVo the best way to watch television.” Favorite piece of tech: “TiVo, of course. We have four TiVo boxes in our house. And that's on the low side. I've come across people who have 9, 10. But my BlackBerry gets more usage during the work day.” Top personal achievement in 2006: “Having deals, now in place with operators who control about 30 million cable homes. Launching a high def TiVo as a cable card product that works great.” Least favorite piece of tech: “The toaster. Not a technology improvement in this indispensable home electronic sector in 30 years.” Click here to return to the 2006 CFAX 100 List |
|
 |
|||||||||
|
.jpg)
