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TV General Manager
International TV & Digital Broadcasting
 
Executive Search Global TV General Manager – TV GM
Based Washington, DC - USA
Search Firm Filcro Media Staffing, New York, NY
Search Group TV & Radio GM’s
Officer in Charge Tony Filson, New York, NY
Reporting to TV Network President & CEO
Client U.S. Based International Broadcaster
Client Situation
The CEO was seeking growth in U.S. and international markets. New leadership was required to monetize and operate the broadcast and interactive holdings.
An aggressive increase in the quantity and quality of TV and digital programming in multiple languages serving U.S., Middle East and North Africa markets was sought.
The CEO required the technological build-out of interactive properties and unique digital content to reach commercial markets with Inventory, Traffic, Sales, Sales Services, Programming, Broadcast and Production Operations all needing to be retooled and brought in-house.
Sector Inclusion
- Broadcast Television
- Cable Television
- Satellite Television
- Digital and Mobile Broadcasters
The (ESC) identified Filcro Media Staffing (FMS) and Tony Filson (TF) functioning as Officer in Charge of Search.
Filcro Media Staffing is Retained
The Filcro Media Staffing Officer in Charge of Search worked directly with the CEO to establish the experience required and the job description to attract the proper GM.
Filcro Media Staffing was provided with technical, operational, organizational O&D, financial, market and the cultural overviews requested to evaluate all the firm’s current assets. FMS expressed an aggressive plan of action to recruit a GM with the the skills and experience required to lead the firm in U.S. and international markets
Some challenges facing the new General Manager (GM)
- Change management with cultural sensitivities
- Renegotiating current production contracts
- Identifying new production facilities and complete build-out
- Formalizing production, co-pro, development and programming acquisitions
- Financial management and budget controls for CAPEX and OPEX
- Human resource policy and procedure formalization globally
- Sales infrastructure - front and back office
- BO&E all to brought in-house
- Interactive site(s) build-out and monetization
- Branding of TV and interactive properties in domestic and international markets for clients and advertising agencies
Filcro Media Staffing
Filcro Media Staffing proceeded to Identify TV GM’s with the combined domestic and international experience in the MENA and U.S. directing multinational broadcast entities within the client’s genre with the proper business, technical and creative leadership.
Working outwards from the Washington, DC / VA / MD geographic, Filcro Media Staffing was aggressive in identifying local candidates not requiring relocation. This proved to be highly successful in universe compilation by Tony Filson as the OIC.
The TV Network required a solid history of turning around or building new broadcast entities that were profitable in a brief period of time. The CAPEX for this endeavor was substantial and monetizing quickly was essential. The GM’s experience also had to be accompanied by tactical and strategic leadership in international markets directly related to the client’s MENA and U.S. interests.
The new TV GM would be inheriting an organization that lacked proper monetization, and formalized policies and procedures for integrated marketing and sales. A number of operational contracts for production, broadcast operations and facilities (Real Estate) required renegotiation or to be brought in-house. We fast tracked executives with the “proper” business experience and weighted the first tier appropriately based on Filcro Media Staffing’s extensive experience with media facilities and real estate.
Financial controls were needed immediately to rectify spending not in line with the firm’s revenue. Programming and production costing were currently prohibitive for the entity based on the hours of original programming and current co-production deals. The new GM would have to work internally and externally to bring programming costs to appropriate levels and ramp up once the sales organization was formalized. The current costs were unsustainable. In the weighting of this tier, we looked at ROI of original, co-pro and acquired programming and setup three subcategories.
Traffic, Inventory, Sales, Sales Planning and Client Services all needed to be addressed by this new GM to allow ad agency and direct client advertising participation. The current RFP and ideation resources also needed to be revamped. Those with prior GSM experience in building new sales organizations were separated into three tiers.
This new GM would require cross-platform acumen for the integration of broadcast TV Network and interactive properties in a seamless manner. We brought those with formalized work-flow creation that was utilized internationally to the top of this tier.
Filcro Media Staffing’s clear goal at every phase of the search was to attract a GM who had intimate understandings of the MENA, The Maghreb and the related U.S. MENA geopolitical landscape. Those who could navigate the 200 US DMA’s with the same aplomb as the MENA would be essential if the CEO’s plan was to come to fruition. We weighted these GM’s into two tiers for weighting.
The ecology of the broadcast entity required 24/7 operational continuity while setting the new standards the CEO was seeking. A great deal of maturity and self assurance would be required to earn the confidence of staff that was thirsty for honed broadcast leadership.
By the end of universe compilation there were 24 candidates separated by 3 tiers with 43 variables utilized for each. The mentoring, soft skills, cultural awareness and success leading remotely internationally were some the vital areas profiled in scenario driven profiles for the final 4 candidates.
The Successful TV GM Recruited
 A veteran international TV media executive with multi-departmental management skills including general management, strategic planning, news, programming, ad sales, promotion, marketing, branding & new media.
Recently relocated to the West Coast this GM was currently a Senior Adviser for a leading international management-consulting firm developing a new Pan-Arabic satellite-delivered news and information channel in the Middle East. Part of his responsibilities were in the DC/VA/MD geographic and this made the transition easier for him and his family.
Prior to this, the new GM had successfully built-out a new national commercial station, creating new state-of-the-art broadcast facilities in 3-months, supervising a staff of 200 and increased revenue by 40% as he increased audience by 75% in their key demos.
This TV executive was selected by a non-partisan U.S. Federal agency, appointed by the President of the United States to develop, plan and guide 3 satellite-delivered news and information based channels in 22 countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. He supervised and directed the construction and build-out, the hiring of management and staff for all operating departments including news, production, programming, finance, human resources, branding, marketing, new media and technical operations in Washington, DC and International Markets.
As the Group Chief Operating Officer (COO) of another international broadcasting concern he successfully directed the management of the TV Network's (6 channel Multiplex), programming, ad sales, news, marketing and branding strategies as deregulation was introduced into the markets. After 2 years he retained a 78% share of the TV advertising market, and a 75% share of the audience. He realized a $0 to a net-profit of $78.5 million in that 24 month period. His challenges of regional terrorism, functioning in an active theater and regional financial recession were overcome by his exceptional leadership skills in AORs consider hostile by others. He was a proven leader of people and resources.
This TV executive had been successful in every international broadcast entity he had ever been appointed to lead where he was given autonomy to hire a core group of direct reports, when they were needed.
The executive was relocated to DC/MD/VA area and has made a smooth transition to the new organization. He has exceeded all expectations and is making the client’s business goals a reality in U.S. and MENA markets.
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