A Conversation with Carmi Zlotnik and John Penney – The Power of Original Programming and the Future of STARZ
The speaker slate of JHRTS – LA kicked off with an insightful panel with two influential people in the paid cable channel realm: STARZ’s Carmi Zlotnik, Managing Director & Head of Original Programming and John Penney, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Strategy. The two men spent close to two hours discussing the value of original programming and intellectual property, the business of paid cable television, multi-platform distribution, the challenges they have faced and of course, the many successes they have achieved. Moderator and journalist, Jenny Cooney, led the discussion as the two STARZ executives revealed many interesting facts about their experiences. One of the many highlights of the night included Zlotnik’s and Penney’s anecdotes detailing their big breaks in the industry. While Zlotnik started on a set of a music video pointing lights and feeling the heat, Penney had a completely different path working in economics for various financial institutions. Together, they create a power team that is able to identify the many opportunities they can glean in order to create, grow, and maintain a well-respected brand of quality content. As always, the audience was able to participate in an insightful Q & A session following the conversation.
Written by Adriana Hernandez
JHRTS August Mixer Recap
On August 22nd the LA chapter of the JHRTS hosted their first fall networking event at The Parlor in the heart of the always trendy and offbeat Melrose Avenue. The night kicked off to a crowd of young executives from all areas of the entertainment industry filling up the room and their stomachs with bites of culinary delights provided graciously by the venue’s management. A bird’s eye view of the crowd put it at about 100 invitees at any given time, maintaining a high decibel of chatter and laughter throughout the night. Conversations around the room ranged from critical analyses of the latest episode of Breaking Bad to ways in which people could help each other out and build business together – and this was exactly the goal of the night’s event, to connect people and create long-lasting relationships that are sure to come into play as we all take the next steps in our careers. Equally as important was the fact that everyone present had a smile on their face and was enjoying their time with friends, old and new.
Written by Carlos Aguirre