December 1, 2008

CableFAX: 64. Recipe for Success: Brooke Johnson

Brooke Johnson
Title: President, The Food Network
Last Year: #54
Age: Same as Madonna
Ed: Northwestern, BA; Medill, MSJ

Why Her? Brooke Johnson loves food, we observed in CableFAX 100 last year, and she ably caters to the tastes of her viewers, such as with the ongoing hit, Iron Chef. Yet Johnson also takes pride in the cable industry’s openness to women as leaders. At a WICT event last August, Johnson observed that she never saw a female general manager while she was in the broadcast business, then noted her excitement upon joining cable and finding Kay Koplovitz in charge of USA and Gerry Laybourne running Nickelodeon. She’s done her part by helping to make Scripps Networks and Food Network among the best places for women to work in cable, according to WICT’s Par Initiative.

Worth Watching: Johnson is rumored to be preparing to greenlight series that will push Food in new directions.

Year Ahead:
Despite the economic downturn, when the cost of living keeps rising, people want tasty comfort foods.

You Really Like to Cook? Very much!

How Often Do You Get to Sample Free Eats at Work? Too often

Drink of choice: Alcohol

Music: Classical

Unnecessary Luxury I Like Most: Good balsamic vinegar

Fave Show Not on My Network: The French Chef

KF

Return to the CableFAX 100 table of contents.