December 12, 2007

The Dealmakers

Name: Brian Deevy
Title: Chairman/CEO, RBC Daniels
Age: 52
Years in Industry: 26
Years Left in the Industry: “Forever!”

Name: Rick Michaels
Title: Chairman/CEO, Communications Equity Associates

Name: John Waller
Title: Chairman, Waller Capital

Why Them? With the credit market crunch, it hasn’t been easy getting a deal done these days. Look at Insight—a sale that should've been completed but wasn't. Yet these gentlemen still are doing business. It's just taking a bit longer these days—something that's true across all industries. And while there weren't a lot of big deals in 2007, there was a lot of interest in smaller systems from independent operators, private equity groups and even small phone companies. You can't stop the wheels of cable consolidation…

Brian Deevy
I knew the cable industry was for me when: “I went to the Daniels party at the 1981 Western Show.”
Person (other than my current boss) who I’d most like to work for: “Jim Robbins”
In my free time, I like to: “Hang out with my wife and kids.”
Favorite city: “New Orleans”
Favorite line from a movie or TV show: “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.” - Casablanca
Favorite song: “You’ve Got a Friend,” James Taylor
Favorite TV show: “SportsCenter”
Favorite movie: “Casablanca”
Favorite sports team: “Colorado Rockies, of course!”
Favorite piece of tech: “Blackberry”

Rick Michaels
The cable industry's biggest challenge in 2008: “Competing technologies such as IPTV and an increased number of alliances of powerful competitors such as AT&T and EchoStar.”
Coolest new cable technology: “The new multiple platform digital/IPTV Smartcard-equipped set-top boxes developed in Europe, which will be coming to the U.S. soon.”
Favorite City: “London”
Three things I would like to take with me to a desert island: “The Girls Next Door”
Defining Career Moment: “Joining Times Mirror in 1968 to ascertain whether they should enter the cable TV business.”
Favorite song: “The Gambler” - Kenny Rogers
My perfect vacation goes like this: “As I travel 250 days per year and have been to 110 countries, my perfect vacation is characterized by the last line of the Wizard of Oz, ‘There’s no place like home’!”

John Waller
Person I most admire in the cable industry and why: “Jim Robbins for all he did with innovation and bringing us all together.”
Biggest cable surprise of 2007: “Profitability and growth potential of VoIP.”
In my free time, I like to: “Hang with my kids and exercise.”
Favorite city: “New York City”
Favorite movie: 3:10 to Yuma


Click here to go to the next entry
Click here to go to the previous entry
Click here to return to the 2007 CableFAX 100 list