Cable Connection Week in Denver

I went to Denver last week for a week of cable industry conferences. One of the event photographers caught me lost in thought at the end of a long day.




I spoke at a bunch of different events. One session was on the difference between right brain and left brain leadership styles. We also introduced the Food Network diverse recipe project in partnership with NAMIC.


and networked with some of our key business partners. Food Network's Rachael Ray and HGTV's Vern Yip joined in of our events. I don't think I've worn a suit for so many consecutive days since the 1980s.



We also toasted to the launch of Cooking Channel, the new network I'm working on, with a special cocktail.

Cooking Channel

Michael Smith Named Top Chef At Cooking Channel
Food Network Veteran Marketing to Oversee Scripps Nets' New Outlet
by MCN Staff -- Multichannel News, 10/26/2009 5:46:41 PM

Michael Smith, the Food Network top marketer, has been named general manager of the new Cooking Channel, both at Scripps Networks Interactive.
Smith has guided Food Network's creative and brand strategies for the last 10 years, most recently served as senior vice president of marketing.
Michael Smith of the Cooking Channel
He will now oversee the development, staffing and production of the Cooking Channel, a multi-platform network that will cater to avid food lovers with informational and instructional cooking programming. Scripps said earlier this month it's reformatting Fine Living Network, in 55 million homes, into that channel next fall.
"Michael has earned the respect of everyone in the industry for his creative genius in building the Food Network name into one of the strongest brands in media as well as his leadership within cable and television," said John Lansing, president of Knoxville, Tenn.-based Scripps Networks. "He has the depth and breadth of experience needed to launch this new venture in a bold way. His strategic thinking, combined with his relationships with well-known and emerging food talent, will go a long way in making the new Cooking Channel a distinct destination for ‘foodies' everywhere."
Smith's marketing and creative teams during the last decade have won several industry awards, including the prestigious Brand Builder Award from Promax in 2003 and NAMIC's Luminary honors earlier this year. He also has been named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Minorities in Cable in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Smith is a regular speaker for groups such as the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) and the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC).
"The explosion of interest in food and cooking has been amazing, and we are perfectly positioned to build on our category dominance with the introduction of the new Cooking Channel," Smith said in the release. "The concept of the Cooking Channel has been received with such enthusiasm by our distribution partners, advertisers and talent, I am looking forward to serving up the pièce de résistance when we roll the new network out to consumers next year."
Smith earlier worked for Disney/ABC Cable Networks and for the CBS Television Network.
Brooke Johnson, president of Food Network, said in the release "Michael is a brilliant brand strategist who has helped develop some of the leading brands in cable. He also is a collaborative guy who knows how to lead people in the intense work of launching a new cable network."

US Open 2009

My favorite sporting event just ended tonight.


It was another great tournament. I was lucky enough to take in three day and five night sessions.


I saw the eventual men's champion Juan Martin Del Porto.



and women's champ Kim Clijsters



plus women's runner up Caroline Wozniacki




and American sensation Melanie Oudin.

Television Critics Association Event

I went to Los Angeles this past week for the 2009 TCA Press Tour where TV networks showcase their new TV shows to the press. Food Network hosted a special evening event on Thursday.



We turned a suburban Pasadena home into a food oasis featuring two new shows, The Next Iron Chef America and What Would Brian Boitano make.




At 6pm things were pretty calm as the staff prepared for the guests.



and the when the sun went down the fun was in full swing.



Alton Brown addressed the crowd flanked by 1984 Olympic Skating Gold Medalist Brian Botano and the Next ICA chefs.



The Iron Chef contestants served up their best food.



and I hung out with guests and co-workers like William Wong, our Director of Affiliate Sales.



After it was over the staff was weary but happy.

Back to the Rockies Through Merle's Door

20 Summers ago when I was a young affiliate sales manager at CBS I worked along side a bright young TV executive named Kristen Jordan. My territory was the Rocky Mountain time zone and hers was the Midwest.


We both left CBS in the early nineties and in one of those "gee it's a small world" stories we ended up working together again nearly 10 years later at Scripps Networks (the parent company of Food Network.)

We're still both at Scripps after more than 10 additional years and she's still a good egg. She's a fellow dog owner and pet lover, and a few months ago she suggested a fantastic book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog.

I just finished the audiobook version after listening for three weeks of bike commutes to work.


The book is a wonderful biography of dog and his special relationship with his owner. The relationship story is mixed with plenty of rich biological and anthropological information on dogs on humans.

The story is set in Jackson Wyoming which took me back full circle to the Summer of 1989 when I spent weeks on the road in the Rockies as an Affiliate Sales Manager for CBS.



In the back of my mind I've always vowed to return to the Rockies to live for a while. It may not be fore a while, but at least I can go there in my mind thanks to books like Merle's Door.

Good Food Gardens DC

I've been on the road a lot recently. Mostly I've been making presentations for our sales team.



But this past week I went to Washington DC



to be part of the latest Good Food Garden which we donated to the SEED charter school. Aidia Mollenkamp, host of Ask Aida,


and Secretary of Agriculture Tom vilsack spoke to the kids about the value of learning about where food comes from


and how to grow it.

Food Bank Can-Do Dinner

Last week the New York City Food Bank had a fundraising dinner.


My company sponsored the dessert party


Former President Bill Clinton showed up, said a few words and rubbed shoulders with U2's Bono.