Seth Arenstein

Editor, CableWorld Magazine and Assistant VP, Access Intelligence LLC
Seth Arenstein has been writing about cable television since 1998, specializing in programming. Prior to that he spent 12 years with Defense Daily as White House correspondent and Managing Editor, covering military space activities, NASA and the space program of the Soviet Union.   He received an M.A. in defense and foreign affairs from The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of The Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in politics, magna cum laude, from Brandeis University , where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Mr Arenstein is a freelance trumpet player and is a founding board member of the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, a critically acclaimed group based in Washington , DC ,. He is a former chairman of the board of The Washington Conservatory of Music.

Doug Busk

Vice President of Industry Relations
SinglePoint
With over 10 years experience in high tech fields, ranging from interactive marketing to wireless strategy, Doug Busk brings a diverse background to his current role as Vice President of Industry Relations at SinglePoint.  In his current capacity, Doug leads marketing, product strategy, and SinglePoint strategic partner management and participation in industry groups and standards bodies, including the Mobile Marketing Association, CTIA, and WIC. Previously, Doug was Associate Director of Messaging for Verizon Wireless, where he led product management of intercarrier, premium, international, and B2B SMS-based initiatives as well as Instant Messaging product lines.  Upon joining Verizon Wireless in 2003, Doug headed up Wi-Fi and EV-DO-related development. From 2001-2003, Doug drove product development and management of third-party revenue at Cingular.  From 1997-2000, Doug led CIMStudio, the in-house advertising creative unit of nationwide city site network Cox Interactive Media.

Frank Chindamo is the President and Chief Creative Officer of Fun Little Movies and an Adjunct Professor in the Cinema and TV Department of the University of Southern California. Fun Little Movies specializes in producing original, live-action mobile comedy. FLM’s “Fun Funny Phone Films” have won 20 awards including finalists' places at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Short and the Mobile Entertainment Magazine Awards for Best Video,  as well as CTIA's "World Smallest Film Festival" and played on HBO, Showtime, CBS, Playboy, MTV and Comedy Central.  View FLM’s mobile comedy on the Sprint Power-Vision Multimedia Service, on Microsoft Windows Mobile-powered devices and on numerous other platforms around the world.

Michael Coyne
Chief Technology Officer, Strategic Sales
Ericsson

Michael Coyne has worked in telecom for 20 years in a variety of roles, working with a variety of network technologies; broadband wired and wireless, inclusive of HSPA, CDMA, GPoN, wireless core networks and IMS. Among other activities, Michael has worked with: INAP protocol and system design for IN, system level design for wireless data services, including: IMS, push To Talk (PoC), push to watch, IMS based VoIP for all access types, inclusion of cell phones into enterprise and residential VoIP groups.  He is responsible for the creation of the satellite business unit within Ericsson, as well as Thuraya system design.  In his current role, he serves as the Chief Technical Officer for Ericsson’s Strategic Sales team within North America.

Oswin Eleonora

Senior Vice President, North America

LogicaCMG Telecoms
As the Senior Vice President, North America, Mr. Eleonora, overseas strategic direction for LogicaCMG's complete product and solution portfolio. Oswin has over ten years of experience in telecommunications. Since joining LogicaCMG in 2001, Mr. Eleonora has been promoted to various positions. Prior to being named Senior Vice President, he held the role of Vice President Business Development & Alliances, North America . In this role he directed the identification, establishment and development of strategic third party relationships. Oswin set-up and developed LogicaCMG's GSM joint venture that focused on international mobile data services as well as negotiated the world's first Mobile .Net Passport Partner agreement. He also established an integral global partnership with Microsoft that includes such technologies as SMS, WAP and MMS. Mr. Eleonora's areas of expertise include mobile data services & solutions, GSM networks, regulatory issues, international messaging, and mobile content services. Oswin received a dual MBA degree from Rotterdam School of Management and was a member of Mensa Netherlands from 1999-2000.

KC Estenson
Vice President, Digital Media
Disney-ABC Cable Networks
As Vice President, Digital Media, for the Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group, KC Estenson is charged with managing and implementing efforts in the digital media arena including video-on-demand, broadband, web-based and mobile platforms and interactive television technologies across the Group's wholly-owned domestic channels including ABC Family, Disney Channel, Toon Disney/Jetix and SOAPnet.  Additionally, Estenson is supporting the implementation of digital media initiatives related to the Group's successful international kids' TV business, which includes 23 Disney Channels, eight Toon Disney channels, eight Playhouse Disney channels and 18 Jetix channels outside the U.S.  Employed by The Walt Disney Company since 2001, Estenson most recently served as vice president, Office of the Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks, from June 2004 to June 2006.  In this role, he was responsible for a wide array of special projects, working closely with Anne Sweeney and her senior team on priority business initiatives.  He has also previously held organizational management and strategic planning positions within the Company.  As director, Organizational Development for ABC, Inc., from June 2002 to June 2004, Estenson was charged with creating a broad range of strategies related to acquisitions, reorganization and growth opportunities across the Disney Media Networks.  Prior to that, he served as implementation manager in Disney's corporate headquarters, playing a key role in the integration of Fox Family Worldwide into the Company's Media Networks division upon its acquisition in 2001.  Prior to joining Disney, Estenson served as a business strategy consultant at Vantage Partners in Cambridge, MA, where he was charged with building negotiation capability and deal strategy for a variety of global corporations.  Estenson earned a BA degree in political science at St. Mary's College of California and holds a Masters degree in Education from Harvard University. Based in the Group's Burbank headquarters, he resides with his wife and two young children in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.

Boris Fridman
Chief Executive Officer
Crisp Wireless
Boris Fridman is the CEO of Crisp Wireless, the leading content management services company that builds, hosts and maintains mobile websites for major media and entertainment companies.  Crisp Wireless’ proprietary technology platform, mLogic™ enables the rapid deployment of mobile websites which can incorporate automatic data updates, rich media including audio and video and interactivity with messaging, trivia, polls and blogs.  mLogic can also support multiple advertising solutions, offering customers a means to generate revenue via mobile.  Under Boris’s direction, Crisp has evolved to become the provider of mobile content solutions to leading consumer facing companies including USA Today, Paramount Pictures, Tribune Interactive and Hachette Filipacchi.  Prior to Crisp, Boris was the COO of SJ Labs, a developer of award-winning VoIP software products.  He was instrumental in raising its initial round of capital and in focusing the company on development of innovative VoIP solutions in the emerging voice over Wi-Fi market.  Before SJ Labs, Boris founded and was CEO of Broadbeam Corporation, a provider of mobile enterprise solutions.  He led Broadbeam through its early high-growth phase and several rounds of funding to become a premier supplier of wireless middleware products to enterprises worldwide.  Boris holds a M.S. in Physics. He is the co-author of the “Wireless Data for the Enterprise: Making Sense of Wireless Business,” published by McGraw-Hill

Bernard Gershon

Senior Vice President/ General Manager

ABC News Digital Media Group

Vice President and general manager of the ABC News Digital Media Group. In this role, he is responsible for developing revenue opportunities and distributing ABC News content to all digital media platforms including broadband, wireless, cable, IPTV and VOD.  Most recently, Mr. Gershon has been instrumental in delivering ABC News content and the 24-hour news channel, ABC News Now, to new digital platforms including digital cable, broadband, VOD and wireless, and on devices like the Sony Playstation Portable© and Apple's iPod©.  In March 2003 he created ABC News Live, the Web's first 24/7 streaming news network, and in July 2004, Peter Jennings re-launched the channel as ABC News Now with the start of his gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Democratic convention. Today, ABC News Now is available on digital cable as part of Verizon's FiOS expanded basic package, and to over 35 million Internet homes through ABC News On Demand and AOL, in addition to Comcast.net, SBC Yahoo! DSL, Bell South DSL and Verizon FiOS customers.  In 2002, Mr. Gershon introduced ABCNEWS.com's first standalone subscription service, ABC News On Demand, which offers the latest ABC News video content from programs like Good Morning America, World News Tonight and Nightline. Mr. Gershon joined ABCNEWS.com in 1999 as vice president and general manager. Under his leadership, ABCNEWS.com marked several important milestones-- its first two years of profitability and numerous prestigious awards for online journalism, including the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow award for Overall Excellence.

Michael Grebb
Executive Editor
CableFAX
Grebb has written extensively about the cable industry, telecommunications, the Internet, and general information technology and business issues for more than a dozen years. In addition to his duties at CableFAX, he is also the technology columnist for CableWorld magazine. Over the years, Grebb's writing has appeared in Wired, Wired News, Business 2.0, Silicon Alley Reporter, Upside, Forbes, Variety, Billboard, Bank Technology News, U.S. Banker, Wireless Week, CableVision magazine and Multichannel News, among others. His expertise includes consumer electronics, the media, the music industry, e-commerce, B2B/e-business, interactive television, online marketing, broadband/telecom infrastructure, and regulatory and legislative issues. Also a musician and songwriter, Mike's first solo record, Resolution, was released in February 2005.

Brian Seth Hurst is CEO of The Opportunity Management Company, a strategic consultancy that is driving the next generation of entertainment.  He has been referred to as “the father of cross platform” having coined the term in 1998 as MD of Convergent Media at Pittard Sullivan on the team launching TV Guide as the first ever cross platform brand.  Hurst and company assist broadcasters, cable networks, content rights holders and advertisers in building initiatives that reach audiences across emerging content platforms including broadband, interactive television, mobile, and new media devices.  Hurst's credo, “go to where your audience lives,” has transformed the relationship of audiences to brands and has helped clients including some of the world’s best known media companies take advantage of the opportunities brought about when technology becomes a part of people’s everyday lives.  He was on the team that developed the original user experience for TiVo and currently sits on MobiTV’s advisory board.

Brian K. Johnson

Senior Vice President, Americas and Asia Pacific

mBlox Inc. 

Brian Johnson is the Senior Vice President for mBlox, the global leader in SMS message delivery and associated financial transaction processing. In this position he oversees the commercial operations in the Americas as well as the Asia Pacific region, with a focus on the mobile entertainment and commerce space.  Johnson’s business career, spanning nearly 25 years, has focused on early stage companies that are leading new category creations. Johnson has participated in two successful public offerings and one M&A sale to a public company.  Prior to joining mBlox, Johnson was a Senior Vice President at ATG, a GE company, and also served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Pac-West Telecomm, a VOIP service company. In addition, he has also held various executive level positions at companies such as Comverse, Harris and Winstar.  Johnson is the former Executive Director of the California First Foundation and former Board Member for a sales force automation firm.  He currently serves on the Board for Asia First Group, an on-line gaming and localization services firm in the mobile space.  Johnson holds an MBA and Bachelor of Science in Financial Management.

Andres Jordan
Vice President, Innovation and
Business Development
Deutsche Telekom
Andres has over 15 years experience in the technology industry. His career includes stays at MCI, Cable and Wireless, Optiglobe (a startup) and Deutsche Telekom. His background is composed of extensive experience in multiple capacities to include strategy, marketing, sales and business development. Currently, Andres is Vice President of Innovation and Business Development at T-Systems North America, (member of the Deutsche Telekom group), a position held since 2002 and one that he instituted. Andres is also an internationalist, a change agent and an entrepreneur, having co-founded an IT and Technology consulting company that he has since sold. Andres serves in several advisory technology boards and is passionate about marketing and innovation management. He regularly consults, speaks and writes on subjects at the nexus of technology marketing, innovation and international business.  Andres resides in the Washington DC area with his wife and two kids in what is now considered the second “silicon valley”. He holds a Master’s in International Business with Honors from George Mason University, and a BS in Finance from the same institution.

Mark Kapczynski
Chief Executive Officer
Kontrol Media Corp
Mark Kapczynski has a successful track record as a serial entrepreneur, chief executive and media industry expert. His current venture, Kontrol Media Corp., is an idea incubator for startups and senior professionals in the media and technology markets including Web 2.0, mobile, and television.  Prior to that, he was founder and CEO of MESoft, a media and entertainment software company, for which Kapczynski raised two rounds of seed and venture capital funding exceeding $8MM. Under his leadership, the company also grew its distribution to a global level and partnered with leading IT companies, such as IBM, Sun and AMD, and media companies that include Avid, Ascent Media and Sony. Additionally, he received a patent for a digital media workflow process.  From 1995 to 2002, Kapczynski worked at Microsoft Corporation as their Director of Worldwide Media & Entertainment Solutions Group.  During that time, he worked with numerous digital media and internet start-ups such as Homestore (now Move.com), Movielink, and MeTV.  Mark Kapczynski got his first taste at being an entrepreneur in 1993 when he founded Digital Genesis—a pioneer in the internet/e-commerce space—which was sold to publicly-traded Netgateway, Inc. (NGWY, now IIG) three years later.  Mr. Kapczynski graduated from UCLA film school and continues to be active in multiple industry associations that span media, mobile telecom, technology, and Internet Web 2.0.

Nagraj Kashyap
Director, North America Operations
QUALCOMM Ventures
Nagraj Kashyap is Director of QUALCOMM Ventures and heads up North American operations.  He serves as a board observer on Obopay, WaveMarket, Airplay Networks, GoTV Networks and Digital Orchid.  He is also actively involved with the QUALCOMM Ventures investment in Airvana and led the QUALCOMM Ventures investment in Bitfone (acquired by HP in 2007).  Mr. Kashyap has over 12 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and has worked in various engineering and management capacities at Nortel, 3COM, Motorola and QUALCOMM.  He has also worked as a manager at PRTM, a management consulting firm based out of Waltham, Massachusetts.  Mr. Kashyap has an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and an MS in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin.

Tony Kern, Americas managing principal of the  Media and Entertainment practice of Deloitte & Touche LLP, brings nearly 30 years of experience to the organization.  He has experience in various business issues, including management consulting, corporate finance, re-structuring, operations optimization, strategy and business planning, mergers and acquisitions, and feasibility studies and litigation support for global clients.  Tony is responsible for coordinating the technology, media and telecommunications activities across all of our organization’s service lines.  He is directly responsible for overseeing our Media and Entertainment client services.  Tony is involved in many professional organizations, including the Federal Communications Bar Association, Cable Television Tax Professionals Institute, American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, the Maryland Historical Trust and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  He is often quoted in the press, including Broadcasting & Cable magazine, Business Week, CNBC, the Hollywood Reporter, MSNBC, National Public Radio,  the Wall Street Journal and many other news outlets.  Tony holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in telecommunications from Michigan State University. He is based in the McLean, Virginia office.

As Senior Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Services, Tom is responsible for leading Comcast’s entry into wireless services, products and devices.  He is responsible for leading the integration of wireless services with Comcast’s current video, voice and Internet services. He also manages Comcast’s existing wireless partnerships and is developing the company’s strategies surrounding emerging wireless technologies.  Additionally, as General Manager of SpectrumCo, LLC, Tom is responsible for the development and implementation of cable’s wireless entry strategy.  SpectrumCo is the holder of the recently licensed AWS spectrum.  In his role as Vice President of Business Development for Comcast Voice Services, Tom was responsible for driving the development of new and existing business initiatives for Comcast Digital Phone and Comcast Digital Voice, Comcast’s Voice over IP phone service.  Tom joined Comcast in 2002 after spending two years at Gemini Networks in Washington, D.C., as Vice President of Business Development. Prior to that, he spent seven years at Cox Communications, where he also held the title of Vice President of Business Development.  Tom earned BS degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Josh Newman
Senior Vice President of Business Development and Sales
Limbo 41414
Josh Newman is Senior Vice President of Business Development & Sales for Limbo 41414, a leading provider of mobile promotions and integrated rewards programs.  In addition to its own branded campaigns offering consumers the opportunity to win great prizes and earn rewards points through its unique “Limbo Auctions” concept (www.41414.com), Limbo is also powering programs in partnership with leading media companies and brands in support of their promotional and advertising goals.  Current and recent Limbo clients and partners include Verizon Wireless, Bravo Television, “America’s Next Top Model”, CoverGirl, Gillette, and others.  Prior to joining Limbo, Josh served as Vice President of B2B Applications & Services for Mobliss, a Seattle-based provider of mobile marketing and content delivery services whose industry-leading work included work for “American Idol,” Cingular, Coca Cola, Careerbuilder.com, and other category leaders.  In addition to over 5 years of hands-on experience in the rapidly evolving mobile space, Josh’s resume also includes work in Strategic Relations and Marketing for RealNetworks; film and television production with a number of major Hollywood studios; and strategic communications and PR in both the public and private sectors.  Josh is a graduate of Yale University and a former officer in the United States Army.

Dan Novak

Vice President, Programming and Advertising

MediaFLO USA Inc.

Dan Novak is vice president of programming and advertising for MediaFLO USA Inc., which aggregates premium, full-length content from the best-known entertainment brands, delivering a mobile entertainment service to mobile phones via its dedicated nationwide multicast network.  In his role, Novak is responsible for the programming strategy and acquisition of content, production and advertising for MediaFLO USA Inc.  Novak joined QUALCOMM with more than two decades of media experience.  A television sports and programming veteran, Novak was the vice president and general manager of Channel 4 San Diego, driving the growth and innovation of the award-winning regional network since its launch in 1997.  Under his direction, Channel 4 San Diego grew into a dominant network in the regional sports and media market.  While with Cox Communications, Novak oversaw the sports marketing investments and programming ventures for the region including the Padres, PETCO Park and Cox Arena at San Diego State University. A graduate of what is now Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Novak received his Master's degree from San Diego State University's School of Communication, where he has served as a part-time faculty member. 

Daniel O. Offner

Partner, Interactive Entertainment & Media Team Leader

Nixon Peabody LLP

Dan Offner has been at the forefront of the interactive entertainment and new media industries for almost two decades.   Mr. Offner has worked on several groundbreaking deals for his clients that have changed the interactive content industry and helped make his clients industry leaders.   Mr. Offner is viewed as a thought-leader in interactive entertainment and new media. His understanding of how content, interactive entertainment, the internet, wireless, and technology come together and change on a business and legal level is extremely valuable for his clients.  

As an attorney, Mr. Offner has created legal forms and business models for his interactive and new media clients which are now considered to be industry standards.   Mr. Offner has conducted thousands of deals for companies, ranging from new formed start-ups to mature public companies, in the interactive entertainment, internet, new media, wireless, and merchandising areas.   Mr. Offner has also been involved with some of the key merger and acquisition activity in these areas where he has represented both buyers and sellers.  Mr. Offner represents many of the industry leaders and emerging companies in the interactive and new media business. Mr. Offner has helped his clients develop, structure, negotiate, document and close pivotal deals propelling his clients' businesses.   One example is THQ's acquisition of the WWE wrestling license.   This acquisition helped THQ increase profits of its wrestling business into a   billion dollars a year in sales.   In a separate deal, Mr. Offner also played a pivotal role in Ubisoft's acquisition of Red Storm Entertainment, a company owned by author Tom Clancy.    This deal launched Ubisoft's ranking from a top 20 videogame publisher to a top five videogame publisher.

Robyn Polashuk
Partner
Greenberg Traurig
Robyn Polashuk's (shareholder) practice focuses on the distribution of cable and broadcast television networks and programming across a variety of platforms and technologies, from traditional franchise cable and direct broadcast satellite to video-on-demand, high definition and IP video. She has particular experience in content protection issues related to television distribution. Robyn also has a background in the licensing of information technology and electronic media products. She joined Greenberg Traurig after nearly a decade of business and legal affairs experience in the entertainment industry.

Mike Pusateri
Vice President, Technology Development
Disney-ABC Television Group
Michael Pusateri is the Senior Vice President, Technology at the Disney - ABC Television Group in Burbank, California.  Responsible for Broadcast Engineering, Information Technology and Digital Media, Michael has been with Disney since 1995.  Previous to that, he worked at Sony and National TeleConsultants designing television production facilities.  In broadcasting, he has lead the facility conversion from analog television to digital television and pioneered the use of video file servers as play to air devices on the flagship Disney Channel network.  On the information technology front, he lead the use of weblog software, syndication aggregators, and wikis to rework internal business workflow systems.  Recently, he’s helped develop methods to prepare and distribute content for a wide range of platforms from the Apple iPod to broadband to mobile devices.  Michael finds himself surrounded by computer technology even though he spent years learning analog circuit design and electromagnetics as an electrical engineer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Troy Sample
Chief Executive Officer
Telescope  

Troy is responsible for running all North American operations at Telescope, the leader in participation TV, with clients such as NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, Lifetime, The Discovery Channel, GSN and others. He brings more than fifteen years of expertise in the entertainment and telecommunications to his position of running the leading provider of participation media solutions. His telecom experience includes tenures at AT&T and MCI. In the entertainment industry, Troy has worked directly with FremantleMedia, 19 Entertainment, and FOX in a variety of roles. In his executive role, Troy has aided Telescope in achieving profitability with top line revenues growing to more than $15 million U.S. in 2005. His dedication and drive has helped place Telescope in the Guinness Book of World Records for managing the largest television vote, when 65,491,313 votes were cast by telephone and text message from FOX TV viewers of ‘American Idol' in Season 3 of the popular show.

Bob Shallow
Vice President/General Manager, Mobile Entertainment Group

TV Guide
In September 2006, Bob Shallow was named to the newly created position of vice president and general manager, Mobile Entertainment Group at Gemstar-TV Guide International. In this role, Mr. Shallow is responsible for the leadership, development and day to day management of the mobile group, including driving growth and developing partner and customer relationships.  Mr. Shallow most recently held the position of director of multimedia experiences for Nokia, Inc.'s multimedia business group. With Nokia, Mr. Shallow specialized in the areas of digital media technology and regulation. He helped launch a number of consumer applications in the domains of mobile internet and video and broadcast TV, among others. Further, Mr. Shallow was the director of channel sales and development for Nokia's music and rich media group, where he was heavily involved in marketing and merchandising with leading wireless carriers and national retailers.  Prior to that, Mr. Shallow served as vice president of production ventures & services for TWI Interactive, where he was responsible for setting strategies and generating revenue related to content distribution and the launch of new digital channels through video on demand television, broadband, interactive television, mobile and packaged media. He also served at Trans World International as vice president of production.  Mr. Shallow is based in New York, and reports to Rich Cusick, senior vice president and general manager of Digital Media. He graduated with a B.A. in Communications from Pepperdine University.

Sesh Simha is the Technical Project Director for SES Americom, Inc for the Hiwire Las Vegas Trial and other mobility projects.  He has been with SES Americom since January 2004 and is a key member of their Mobile Video and New Media Initiatives team. As overall technical lead, he is responsible for integrating the technologies and services of the many partners and suppliers that are associated with the implementation of Hiwire's 2-frequency DVB-H trial network. Prior to his tenure at SES, Sesh has held Project Management, Marketing and Systems Engineering positions at Cogent Communications, Teleglobe, INTELSAT and Hughes Network Systems.  His forte has been the conception and introduction of new products and services in multimedia, broadband and satellite communications. Sesh has an MSEE from the University of Michigan , Ann Arbor .

Joel Smernoff

President and Chief Operating Officer

Paltalk

Joel Smernoff is the President and CEO of Paltalk and brings his 15+ years of strategy, innovation and operational experience to bear overseeing Paltalk's product design, marketing, ad sales, finance, customer service and other operations to support the company's rapid growth.   Prior to joining Paltalk, Joel was a co-founder of AOL's first brand extension, AOL for Small Business, after holding an executive position on Netscape's Netbusiness team, overseeing team operations and product design.  Previously, he has led the strategy and operations for a variety of companies in several industries, from small tech startups to large Fortune 500 companies.  Joel graduated from the University of Michigan with both a BSE in Naval Architecture and an MBA in Finance. 

Joel is a member of the NYC chapter of the YPO and sits on the boards of Ugen Media and Balance Integration.   When not helping to run Paltalk, he spends his time practicing yoga, surfing, competitive sailing, and racing cars.

Clint Stinchcomb
Executive Vice President and
General Manager of Emerging Networks
Discovery Communications
As executive vice president and general manager of Discovery’s Emerging Networks Group, Clint Stinchcomb oversees Discovery HD Theater, Discovery Times Channel, The Military Channel and Discovery Home Channel.  He is responsible for all aspects of the networks’ programming, production, development, operations, new media, marketing, communications and research. Stinchcomb also manages Discovery’s U.S. multiplatform brand, TURBO as well as new media operations and partnerships for Discovery’s other platform businesses including mobile, video on demand and satellite radio.  Stinchcomb was promoted to this position in March 2007 following a successful tenure as executive vice president and general manager, HDTV and new media. Under his watch, Discovery HD Theater attained virtually universal distribution with all cable and satellite operators that have HD services.  Stinchcomb also led the charge in developing new media operations to support brand extensions of Discovery’s U.S. networks, from re-launching Discovery’s on-demand service to growing distribution of Discovery Mobile, Discovery’s 24-hour dedicated mobile channel.  Previously, Stinchcomb served as senior vice president of new media operations, overseeing the launch, implementation and oversight of Discovery’s global new media businesses, including mobile, wireless and broadband television content, satellite radio and video on demand.  Prior to joining Discovery’s new media executive team, Stinchcomb served as senior vice president and general manager of Discovery HD Theater and Discovery On Demand. Stinchcomb was instrumental in the June 2002 launch of Discovery HD Theater, the first 24-hour high-definition television network to broadcast all of its content in brilliant 1080i and 5.1 digital surround sound.  A seasoned 15-year Discovery executive, Stinchcomb has held a number of key positions within the company’s affiliate sales division. He served as vice president, new media, affiliate sales & marketing, where he was responsible for the positioning, sales and marketing of Discovery networks new media offerings, including Discovery HD Theater. Stinchcomb was also vice president of national accounts, where he oversaw affiliate sales, marketing and promotional efforts designed to enhance distribution of the Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel and Discovery Health Channel. Stinchcomb joined the company in 1992 as part of TLC’s affiliate sales and marketing group.

Stinchcomb has served on a variety of industry association boards and has been named several times to CableFAX Magazine’s “100 Heavy Hitters” list, which recognizes the top executives in media.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College.  Stinchcomb resides with his wife, Laurie, and three young children in Olney, Md.  He is based at Discovery’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, Md.

Daisy Whitney

Technology Writer

TV Week

Daisy writes for a number of publications including TelevisionWeek, Advertising Age, Shape and Business 2.0. She has a specialty in the media industry and is currently TelevisionWeek's technology and emerging media reporter. Ms. Whitney also wrote for the Denver Post for six years, and has also written for Canada’s The Globe and Mail, Miami Herald, New Media Age, Extra Extra, Natural Health and Consumers Digest. She graduated from Brown University in 1994 with a degree in art history.

Scott Wills
President and Chief Operating Officer
Hiwire

Scott Wills is President & COO of Hiwire, deploying its DVB-H Mobile TV Network. Mr. Wills held CEO and executive positions for start-ups and Fortune 500 companies, covering consumer-packaged goods, media entertainment and new technologies. During his early career, he introduced popular new products for companies such as P&G and Pepsi-Cola. He later founded media and technology companies, both public and private. His media entertainment credentials include the launch of A&E TV network, the relaunch of American Movie Classics, the introduction of the Montel Williams TV show and the launch of Zing interactive TV. His patent inventions include 7 Location-based wireless patent applications.