News & Opinion

By Roxanne Leone, Director Marketing & Communications   Mentoring is a two way street. If you’ve already made your decision to become a mentor to a college student, a new employee or other aspiring professional, I would recommend you put yourself in their shoes to ensure you are filling their needs as well as your own. I’ve chosen the top 5 tips that helped my mentor and I be successful and grow my career. Assess your own skills. Identify your skillset and which skills you feel your mentee would benefit most from. You don’t need to have experience with every skill your mentor may need – or want – but you must be willing to grow and learn with them. Take time to analyze how you started in your own career and document the guidance that you found the most, and least, helpful to you as you moved up the corporate ladder. Set goals jointly.  It might seem like a small task, but setting up the logistics of when, where and how often you’ll connect is very important. My mentor put the needs of his sales department first, as most VP’s do, so our mentoring time was set weekly between 5:30-7:00 pm after sales were closed out for the day. Set expectations for the mentoring relationship from the get-go. By understanding your mentee's goals will show your commitment to the relationship and his or her professional development. A goal may be narrow in focus or on overall career progression. For me, it was critical to get more comfortable in front of an audience. By being a more effective communicator I could strengthen my leadership skillset. I joined Toastmasters International, a local public speaking club, during evening hours and my mentor, also my manager, planned all of my corporate presentations first thing in the morning to lower my anxiety. I spent 2 years in the program and then became the founding member of a club within our own organization. Listen I’ve seen mentors so excited to help a mentee that they make decisions for the individual instead of listening to what they want. Sure it’s a difficult ask, but do your best to stop what you’re working on, focus and listen. And if you can meet outside your office and in a common area like a conference room that may work out best. The more you listen, the more you discover and your colleague may just surprise you. My mentor chose to mentor me after we attended an industry trade show. He said his issue with me was that I was all business. But after a week on the road getting to know me on a personal level he felt I had the creativity, confidence and passion to drive my success. Be professional. Trust and respect is of the utmost of importance to any professional relationship. It’s also critical to make your mentee feel safe and that what you choose to discuss will remain confidential. Both of you should have the comfort level to have dialogue to work through issues without passing judgement. With my mentor’s 30 years of experience in the industry I was new to, he served as a role model with very high standards for professionalism in the workplace. I was also the second women to join a team of 30 white men. One of his management goals was diversity and inclusion and growing our staff to include more women and people of color. Share your network. I think one of the most valuable things you can pass on to your mentee is your professional network. People across the globe are expected to communicate and build camaraderie to get the job done, and done well. Working on a professional network takes years of practice and is always ongoing. To prepare your mentee for the long road ahead, introduce your mentee to relevant contacts that can be valuable resources for them today or in the future. In addition, ensure your mentee participates in professional development programs such as the Intrapreneurship Academy (IA) to strengthen leadership skills and grow their network. The Cable Center’s IA Program has a robust training program suitable for people in the cable industry or any technology industry driving innovation. One of the most worthwhile networking opportunities offered to me was managing my VP’s public relations interviews with the trade media. I was able to plan and attend speaking opportunities, professional meetings with the press, meals with high-level colleagues, customers and partners. Keep your mentee’s interest at heart through laser-focused attention on opening doors of opportunity.

With a simple Google search, any PR professional can find dozens of listicles, recommendations and tactics on how to successfully pitch a story to the media. So, why do most editors still say ALL the pitches they receive are bad, not useful, or an embarrassing display of awkward transitions? If you’re having a difficult time earning coverage for yourself, a client or a brand, it’s time to buckle down and commit to the following five core principals of pitching. If you do, you’ll improve your chances of earning the respect, attention and, most importantly, interest from reporters. Know your audience. We all know each reporter covers a different topic or “beat.” So, doesn’t it make sense to read their previous stories for an indication of whether they might be the right person to cover your story? Yes. The answer is yes. Give your story a chance to be heard by taking the necessary time to find the right people to pitch. And when you do, try incorporating a ready-to-use quote or stat to make things easier for the reporter, while proving you’re a valuable source. Pitch like a human. This is what separates us PR professionals from the animals…I mean robots. Machines can blast generic emails to media lists, but you? You’re better than that. Your pitch needs to be personalized to individual editors and publications as if…here me out…it didn’t come from an automated platform. Less is more. It’s time to parlay Marie Kondo’s method into your pitch writing. De-clutter your pitches and aim for one to two paragraphs. Be short, straight forward, and show value. Writers, editors and producers are generally so busy that the less information they must read, the better the chances that they’ll read it. Make sure to answer these two questions: What is exciting about this story, and how is it relevant to the readers of this publication? Do NOT attach. If you’re sending pitches with attachments and wondering why you hear crickets afterwards, it’s probably because your pitch ended up deep within the confines of a junk or spam folder. However, reporters love visuals, so be sure to provide multimedia elements by including a link to view or download them. For Pete’s sake, pick up the phone. Following up on a media pitch is as important as sending it in the first place. When I first begun pitching, I made follow-up phone calls a priority and guess what happened? I was able to build more personal relationships with reporters who later became future core contacts for entirely different clients. Just make sure to start the call by asking if it’s an OK time to talk – this shows you understand deadlines and respect their time. Follow these five principals and you’ll be pitching like a pro and building meaningful relationships in no time. Now repeat after me: “I shall not be flagged as spam once more,” and repeat.

See the original story posted on Videonet here By John Moulding - May 3, 2019 The U.S. cable industry is fighting what it considers the misconception that it has no room for entrepreneurial spirit. The Cable Center, a not-for-profit education organisation serving the media and telecoms sector, has developed an innovation leadership programme called the Intrapreneurship Academy that is already making its mark after just two years. Charter Communications, America’s second largest cable operator with 28 million residential and business customers, has made especially good use of the academy and reckons it will be easier to retain bright, early-career employees as a result.Of the 25 Charter employees who have been through the programme since 2017, one-third have since been promoted. Twelve participants were women and these account for five of the eight promotions. Only three of the Intrapreneurship Academy (IA) graduates have left the company. “These are very talented people so that is pretty incredible,” Cynthia Carpenter, VP of Human Resources at Charter, says of the post-IA talent loss rate. She justifies her support for the programme to bosses on the grounds of promotion rates and churn among what amounts to a next generation of cable leadership. There has been a very positive impact on all staff, not just the ones who go through the IA. “It says that Charter cares about innovation. The common theme in feed-back from participants is that it increases their confidence that Charter is looking to innovate,” says Carpenter. “It shows that we care about them. They know the company leadership wants to hear what they think, and they feel a part of the innovation – they are not just waiting for the leadership to drive change.”The Intrapreneurship Academy does what the name implies – it looks to develop entrepreneurs within an established corporate setting. It is cross-functional. Innovation is defined as any change that adds value to an organisation, according to Janice Silver, Vice President of Programs and Marketing at the Cable Center. The process is people-driven: you develop the person first and wait for the projects and ideas to come later. Creative thinking is a key part of the programme. As Silver explains, “We provide the framework for people to confront problems and ‘ideate’, create a business case around their ideas to pitch to the management and then start the process of making things happen. It is about finding resources and bringing all the pieces of a project together.” Carpenter adds: “Entrepreneurs can get very emotional about new ideas or products and this programme helps them to attach logic. When participants come back, they are proving out assumptions – that is a big part of what they gain.” Carpenter believes the cable industry can offer an outlet for entrepreneurial spirit while soaking up some of the risk that technology and process pioneers would shoulder if they went to a start-up. “This is an attempt – and one that is working quite well – to position cable as a place where someone with entrepreneurial aspirations will be happy. It is a way to keep recruiting bright talent.” At Charter Communications, the employees being sent to the Intrapreneurship Academy have typically been working in the cable industry for 2-6 years and are considered early-career stage, below director level. In partnership with the Cable Center, the HR department communicates with senior leaders across the technology side of the Charter business, which amounts to product development, software engineering, advanced engineering and network operations. “We ask for their nominees. We have been very successful at getting their interest,” Carpenter says of the technology leaders. “Everyone who comes off this programme says they would recommend it to others.” Carpenter admits that the cable industry has a negative reputation when it comes to innovation, but argues it is not warranted. In fact, not even the cable industry gives itself enough credit for its achievements over the years [subscription cable channels completely disrupted the content industry, cable pioneered on-demand television and turned the broadband market on its head with the advanced DOCSIS specs]. Seventy-five people have been through the Intrapreneurship Academy from the U.S. cable industry as a whole, and the programme is supported by multiple operators and cable organisations. It is open to content providers and vendors, as well as the service providers themselves. The Cable Center used to focus on preserving the history of cable and this initiative is designed to ensure the story keeps unfolding. The U.S. cable industry is fighting what it considers the misconception that it has no room for entrepreneurial spirit. The Cable Center, a not-for-profit education organisation serving the media and telecoms sector, has developed an innovation leadership programme called the Intrapreneurship Academy that is already making its mark after just two years. Charter Communications, America’s second largest cable operator with 28 million residential and business customers, has made especially good use of the academy and reckons it will be easier to retain bright, early-career employees as a result.Of the 25 Charter employees who have been through the programme since 2017, one-third have since been promoted. Twelve participants were women and these account for five of the eight promotions. Only three of the Intrapreneurship Academy (IA) graduates have left the company. “These are very talented people so that is pretty incredible,” Cynthia Carpenter, VP of Human Resources at Charter, says of the post-IA talent loss rate. She justifies her support for the programme to bosses on the grounds of promotion rates and churn among what amounts to a next generation of cable leadership. There has been a very positive impact on all staff, not just the ones who go through the IA. “It says that Charter cares about innovation. The common theme in feed-back from participants is that it increases their confidence that Charter is looking to innovate,” says Carpenter. “It shows that we care about them. They know the company leadership wants to hear what they think, and they feel a part of the innovation – they are not just waiting for the leadership to drive change.”The Intrapreneurship Academy does what the name implies – it looks to develop entrepreneurs within an established corporate setting. It is cross-functional. Innovation is defined as any change that adds value to an organisation, according to Janice Silver, Vice President of Programs and Marketing at the Cable Center. The process is people-driven: you develop the person first and wait for the projects and ideas to come later. Creative thinking is a key part of the programme. As Silver explains, “We provide the framework for people to confront problems and ‘ideate’, create a business case around their ideas to pitch to the management and then start the process of making things happen. It is about finding resources and bringing all the pieces of a project together.” Carpenter adds: “Entrepreneurs can get very emotional about new ideas or products and this programme helps them to attach logic. When participants come back, they are proving out assumptions – that is a big part of what they gain.” Carpenter believes the cable industry can offer an outlet for entrepreneurial spirit while soaking up some of the risk that technology and process pioneers would shoulder if they went to a start-up. “This is an attempt – and one that is working quite well – to position cable as a place where someone with entrepreneurial aspirations will be happy. It is a way to keep recruiting bright talent.” At Charter Communications, the employees being sent to the Intrapreneurship Academy have typically been working in the cable industry for 2-6 years and are considered early-career stage, below director level. In partnership with the Cable Center, the HR department communicates with senior leaders across the technology side of the Charter business, which amounts to product development, software engineering, advanced engineering and network operations. “We ask for their nominees. We have been very successful at getting their interest,” Carpenter says of the technology leaders. “Everyone who comes off this programme says they would recommend it to others.” Carpenter admits that the cable industry has a negative reputation when it comes to innovation, but argues it is not warranted. In fact, not even the cable industry gives itself enough credit for its achievements over the years [subscription cable channels completely disrupted the content industry, cable pioneered on-demand television and turned the broadband market on its head with the advanced DOCSIS specs]. Seventy-five people have been through the Intrapreneurship Academy from the U.S. cable industry as a whole, and the programme is supported by multiple operators and cable organisations. It is open to content providers and vendors, as well as the service providers themselves. The Cable Center used to focus on preserving the history of cable and this initiative is designed to ensure the story keeps unfolding.

More than 80 video programming company executives will headline the industry’s largest conference in next gen video streaming distributionThe Pay TV Show, the industry’s largest conference dedicated to the next generation of video distribution, has engaged Bob Gold & Associates as its PR Agency. The event brings together nearly 1,000 leading video executives from around the globe.This year’s event will take place May 13 to 15 at The Westin Westminster Hotel, in greater Denver. With a brand new and expanded education program, the conference featuring the leading technology companies and major sponsors, will give attendees the opportunity to take a deep dive io the innovative technologies, strategies and business models that telecom, tech and media companies are using to compete in what has become a marketplace of mayhem. “Bob Gold & Associates is recognized throughout the pay TV industry as one of the leading agencies entirely focused on our space, ” said Kevin Gray, Event Director of The Pay TV Show. “This is the only event in the industry that brings together the entire video distribution ecosystem. It’s an exciting place to be, as cable, wireless, tech and media companies are all converging on a similar path, and we’re looking forward to another sold out show.”Partnered with some of the industry’s leading visionaries, FierceVideo, the official publication and producer of The Pay TV Show, has developed a world-class conference program featuring keynotes, fireside chats, plenary panels, and breakout sessions focusing on Advertising & Data, Content Strategies & Business Models, and UX & Technology. Speakers include industry executives from Comcast, Hulu, Sinclair, Liberty Global, Turner, Charter, Pluto, Xumo, Fox, Sling, Verizon, Sky, T-Mobile, Sony and others. “In just one year, The Pay TV Show has established itself as a true newsmaker event revealing first time insights, trends and opinions that face the industry,” said Bob Gold, president and CEO of Bob Gold & Associates.The Pay TV Show is produced and managed by Questex LLC, owners of FierceVideo and FierceMarkets. Learn more at questex.com.

Execs from The Walt Disney Company, SWR, Arena TV, and Cisco share their vision for the future of video workflow   By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital Wednesday, December 5, 2018 - 7:49 am Print This Story   At this year’s IBC Show, SVG partnered with Cisco on a panel discussion looking at the future of video technology in the worlds of sports and entertainment. The session dove into examples of how major media organizations from around the globe in terms of how they transmit and archive important video assets on a cloud-based network, how much focous and resources are dedicated to security, how automated IP networking for live broadcasting open new opportunities, how AI, AR, and VR will play a key role in the business, and much more.   The conversation featured: Benjamin Havey, VP, Technology Innovation at The Walt Disney Studios Markus Ostertag, Director of Engineering and Production at SWR Dafydd Rees, Deputy Director of Operations at Arena TV Roger Sherwood, Global Director Media & Entertainment at Cisco The discussion was moderated by Brandon Costa, Director of Digital at SVG.

PR News' PR People Finalists and Rising PR Stars 30 & Under Honorees Announced; Communicators Will Gather to Celebrate Their Successes on December 4 in D.C.   Hundreds of communicators will gather together for the unveiling of the winners who represent those teams that have set industry benchmarks for excellence across all areas of PR.   PR News will highlight the achievements of the 2018 PR People finalists and Rising PR Stars 30 & Under honorees at the PR People Awards Luncheon on December 4 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Top talent will be showcased as well as all of the passionate professionals and budding PR leaders who day in and day out are making communications matter in the marketplace.   View complete list of Rising PR Stars here.

Content owners, distributors and creators gathered for an important thought leadership breakfast on Tuesday, April 25th at NAB to discuss the rapidly evolving media and broadcast landscapes. The breakfast addressed many of the complex questions facing content owners and end users in the evolving digital media ecosystem for delivering interactive, anyscreen experiences.Cisco and its technology partners, including Intel, Grass Valley and Presidio, were joined by the chair of the Producers Guild of America New Media Council, for a panel discussion “IP, OTT, OMG!” which featured many of the innovative challenges which must be addressed by the industry in the next five to 10 years, including: Tipping the scale: How do you easily scale digital distribution of live and premium content?IP for Anyscreen TV: Broadcast video functions and processes are shifting to IP and cloud/virtualization; What does the optimized future supply chain across the ecosystem (production to distribution) look like? How does it open up more revenue sources?Managing Expectations: How do media companies manage expectations for next gen technologies including Ultra HD and Virtual Reality? Watch the video below to see and hear what they had to say. Also available on FierceVideo here - https://www.fiercevideo.com/sponsored/ip-ott-omg-cisco-partners-nab-thought-leadership-breakfast 

Last night at the Light Reading Leading Lights awards dinner in New York City, Amdocs was named Company of the Year. If you’re a regular reader of Amdocs Voices, you’ll know that we don’t usually comment directly about Amdocs in Voices but for once we’re going to make an exception, because we’re feeling quite cheerful today and we’d like to explain why. The reason being is that we won another major industry award last night in New York, and this time, it’s Light Reading’s prestigious Leading Lights award for (Public) Company of the Year 2013. Read the full story here:

Juventus and A.C. Milan will meet at Juventus Stadium on Sunday. The two clubs are looking to improve their standings in Serie A as Juventus is currently third and A.C. Milan is ninth. There will be no shortage of fervor among the respective supporters of I Bianconeri and I Rossoneri, each with their own claim to being Italy's biggest club. Marseille and Paris Saint Germain first met in Le Classique – also known as Derby de France – in 1971 and will add another chapter to their historic Ligue 1 soccer rivalry this Sunday. The arch-rivals are from the two largest cities in France, Marseille and Paris, and are the only two French clubs to have won a major European club competition. Below is the schedule of top international matches being televised this weekend, Saturday, Oct. 5, and Sunday, Oct. 6, on beIN SPORT, beIN SPORT en Español and beIN SPORT Play. Saturday, Oct. 5 -- All times Eastern (ET) On beIN SPORT (English with Spanish SAP) Time Event Competition 9:00 a.m. SUPERPOLE – France FIM SuperBikes World Championship 2013 11:00 a.m. Monaco vs. Saint Etienne Ligue 1 2:00 p.m. Levante vs. Real Madrid La Liga 4:00 p.m. Barcelona vs. Valladolid La Liga On beIN SPORT en Español (with English SAP) Time Event Competition 10:00 a.m. Elche vs. Espanyol La Liga 12:00 p.m. Rayo vs. Real Sociedad La Liga 2:00 p.m. Levante vs. Real Madrid La Liga 4:00 p.m. Barcelona vs. Valladolid La Liga  On beIN SPORT Play Time Event Competition 7:15 a.m. Birmingham City vs. Bolton Wanderers Football League Championship 10:00 a.m. Doncaster Rovers v Leicester City Football League Championship 10:30 a.m. Spartak vs. Terek Russian Premier League 12:00 p.m. Chievo vs. Atalanta Serie A 12:00 p.m. Las Palmas vs. Cordoba Liga Adelante 2:00 p.m. Lille vs. A.C. Ajaccio Ligue 1 2:45 p.m. Inter vs. AS Roma Serie A  Sunday, Oct. 6 -- All times Eastern (ET) On beIN SPORT (English with Spanish SAP) Time Event Competition 6:00 a.m. SUPERPOLE – France FIM SuperBikes World Championship 2013 11:00 a.m. Bordeaux vs. Sochaux Ligue 1 3:00 p.m. Marseille vs. Paris Saint Germain Ligue 1 On beIN SPORT en Español (with English SAP) Time Event Competition 9:00 a.m. Napoli vs. Livorno Serie A 2:45 p.m. Juventus vs. AC Milan Serie A  On beIN SPORT Play Time Event Competition 5:30 a.m. CSKA vs. Dinamo Russian Premier League 6:00 a.m. RACE 1 – France FIM SuperBikes World Championship 2013 6:00 a.m. Atletico Madrid vs. Celta La Liga 8:00 a.m. Montpellier vs. Lyon Ligue 1 8:20 a.m. Giro di Lombardia 2013 10:30 a.m. Pinehiros vs Olympiakos FIBA-Euroleague Intercontinental Basketball Cup 2013 11:00 a.m. Sevilla vs. Almeria La Liga 12:15 p.m. Real Madrid Castilla vs. Lugo Liga Adelante 1:00 p.m. Getafe vs. Betis La Liga 2:45 p.m. Lazio vs. Fiorentina Serie A 3.00 p.m. Athletic vs. Valencia La Liga beIN SPORT can be found on: AT&T U-verse TV channels 662 (English) and 663 (Spanish) DIRECTV channels 620 (English) and 426 (Spanish) DISH channels 408 (English) and 871 (Spanish) Verizon FiOS TV channels 598 (English) and 1538 (Spanish) Comcast Xfinity Time Warner Cable Bright House Networks Advanced Cable Communications Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico Atlantic Broadband SiriusXM FC, channel 94, and other SiriusXM play-by-play channels beIN SPORT Play is available to authenticated subscribers of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. About beIN SPORT Play: http://beinsportplay.tv/about/or http://beinsport.tv/play