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Entertaining Alums: Key Players, Key Challenges for the Industry

We asked key players in media and entertainment, what's the next big challenge for your industry?

Still from Batman vs. Superman

John RogovinJohn
Rogovin ’87

Los Angeles

“In partnership with the best creative minds in the business, Warner Bros. has a long, storied history of creating best- in-class movies, television shows and interactive games, entertaining a worldwide audience with some of the very best franchises, brands and intellectual property. 

"Our next big challenge—and opportunity—is how to continue that tradition in the digital era. Our businesses are increasingly looking to satisfy the rapidly changing demands of consumers to watch what they want to watch, when they want and how they want. As our businesses innovate and increasingly rely on consumer- driven data, our legal teams innovate with them, keeping up with changing practices and evolving laws, providing legal support on a number of different legal fronts, both internally and in commercial relations with others. In addition, the digital era poses new enforcement challenges, including the non-stop effort by profit-making enterprises to steal and exploit our best shows and movies. We address the threat by working closely with the tech community, intermediaries (such as payment processors and credit card companies), industry associations and law enforcement. 

"Lastly, like all companies in the digital era, we also face threats to the security of our information. Fortunately, we have a strong team in each area, working closely with outside counsel, to ensure we are meeting all of these challenges.”

 

HymanDavid
Hyman ’93

Los Gatos, California

“We’re at the vanguard of Internet TV replacing linear TV. Internet TV is on-demand, personalized and available on all your screens. This is a huge change in the way people consume content. It’s a growing global phenomenon that has ripple effects through virtually all aspects of the media and entertainment landscape. The shift to internet TV is ushering in a golden age of television, with many new players developing high- quality compelling dramas, unique comedies and fascinating documentaries. With a change of this magnitude, our big challenge is to assure that the legal and regulatory environment continues to foster the innovation and resulting consumer benefits that the OTT [over-the-top content] services are providing. We need to be mindful of moving too quickly to regulate or otherwise extend legacy broadcast-based media regulation into this developing ecosystem.”

 

Louise SamsLouise
Sams ’85

Atlanta

“The next big challenge will be an acceleration of what the media and entertainment industry is facing today: advances in technology, the proliferation of video content and changing consumer habits. Quality content is essential, but it is no longer just an issue of providing content on-demand or via a mobile device. The challenge is quickly becoming one of reaching the consumer or helping the consumer reach the content. More video content is being consumed today than ever before, but the more traditional ways that consumers have discovered content, such as through network- branding or channel-surfing, are less prevalent today and are being replaced by discovery through search and social media. Given the pace of change in the industry and in technology, the biggest challenge will be to sustain the success of our existing businesses while also innovating with new businesses that could potentially disrupt or cannibalize the existing businesses.” 

More Key Players

Sue AkensSue Akens ’88
Los Angeles

Chris BreartonChristopher Brearton ’98
Los Angeles

Jeffrey CraigmileJeffrey Craigmile ’84
Anaheim, California

John DonaldsonJohn Donaldson ’95
San Francisco Bay Area

Jeffrey EvansJeffrey Evans ’97
Los Angeles

Susan FoxSusan Fox ’91
Washington, D.C.

Ted HumphreyTed Humphrey ’94
Los Angeles

Jonathan GardnerJonathan Gardner ’96
Beverly Hills, California

Janice JohnstonJanice Johnston ’99
New York

Julie LynnJulie Lynn ’92
Los Angeles

Stan McCoyStan McCoy ’98
Brussels

Colin RushingColin Rushing ’99
Washington, D.C.

Andrew ScheinmanAndrew Scheinman ’73 
West Hollywood, California

—Lyndsey Raynor and Mary Wood
 

Virtually Limitless: George Kliavkoff '93 Pioneers Nascent Entertainment Space