Veteran Cable Executive Looks to Build on the Strength of AMC's Recent Successes and Maximize Assets Across Multiple Platforms
New York, NY, September 5, 2006 – Rainbow Media Holdings LLC announced today that Charlie Collier has been named General Manager of its flagship network, AMC. Reporting to Ed Carroll, President, Rainbow Entertainment Services, Collier will oversee the day-to-day operations of the network enhancing the AMC brand through inventive marketing, advertising and programming strategies across multiple platforms.
Collier, who is most noted within the cable industry for his groundbreaking innovations in advertising engagement and branded entertainment, will evolve AMC's programming and marketing strategies to refine the brand so that it best serves its viewers, affiliates and advertising partners. Collier will further AMC's commitment to celebrating classic movies and producing the high quality original programming that has resulted in the largest audience delivery across all day parts in the network's 22-year history. The fully-distributed basic cable network has invested in significant program development over the last three years, including an expansion of its iconic film library and the premiere of select original films and series which have resulted in historic ratings growth. This past June and July were AMC's best performing, highest rated, most watched, in its history.
"The AMC brand has experienced a dramatic increase in popularity among television viewers which resulted in significant ratings growth for the network" stated Ed Carroll, President, Rainbow Entertainment Services. "This success provides the perfect timing and opportunity for Charlie to accelerate the growth of AMC's business by strengthening our relationships with advertisers, distribution partners and the entertainment and programming industry. Charlie's track record of strong leadership, innovation and his unique understanding of serving clients, make him ideal to lead AMC."
"This is a great opportunity for me to build on the network's positive momentum and strengthen AMC both from a business and brand perspective. Clearly, there is a great team of executives in place at AMC and strong support from senior management at Rainbow. I'm excited to play a leadership role and to be a part of the continued success of AMC on air, on line and across the emerging platforms," stated Collier.
A veteran cable network executive, Collier joins AMC from Court TV with a track record of driving revenue and business growth. At Court TV, he served as Executive Vice President, General Manager, of Advertising Sales where he more than quintupled its revenue from national ad sales, dramatically improved its position within the industry, and played a key role in broadening the appeal of the network beyond courtroom television programming and into "entertainment programming in the investigation genre."
During his time with Court TV, Collier developed and implemented several initiatives which leveraged the unique characteristics of Court TV's audience to provide an enhanced return on investment and superior accountability for advertisers and business partners of the network. Collier focused on the creation of industry-oriented research programs that improved measurement of audience engagement and advertising effectiveness. Collier also led the network in the creation of an organization called, The ROI Council, a new task force comprised of major advertising industry research leaders that explored new ways to measure ad effectiveness and return on investment.
Prior to Court TV, Collier held senior roles at Oxygen Media and A&E Networks. He is a Cable Advertising Bureau board member and, beyond his professional life, Collier is involved in many ventures including a senior board position at CancerCare, an organization devoted to helping not just cancer patients but also those around them touched by the disease. He earned an MBA from Columbia University and graduated with a BA from Bucknell University.
Today's announcement comes on the heels of a number of significant developments at AMC. Its investment in its film library, programming specials and original content had a tremendous impact in 2004 and 2005, rewarding AMC with its best years ever. In 2006, AMC signed a co-production deal with the BBC for the critically acclaimed drama Hustle and the network announced its first dramatic series, Mad Men, from Matthew Weiner ("The Sopranos"). AMC also premiered its first original movie, Broken Trail, a two-day television event executive produced by and starring Academy Award® winner Robert Duvall, co-starring Academy Award® nominee Thomas Haden Church and directed by Emmy award winning director Walter Hill. The heroic western story became the second most watched cable movie since 1995 and delivered the network all time record ratings with a stellar 7.7 HH rating, HH delivery (6.8 million) and total viewership (9.7 million). Using a programming formula that couples valuable iconic movies with cinematic original content, AMC has seen its ratings grow dramatically, providing record ratings growth in every day part each year since 2002.
About AMC
AMC, a division of Rainbow Media's Entertainment Services, which also includes WE tv and IFC Companies, is a 24-hour, movie-based network, dedicated to the American movie fan. The network, which reaches over 88,000,000 homes, offers a comprehensive library of popular movies and a critically-acclaimed slate of original programming that is a diverse, movie-based mix of original series, documentaries and specials. AMC has garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including 14 Emmy awards. AMC is "TV for movie people."
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media creates and manages some of the country's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands including popular national and regional television channels AMC, fuse, The Independent Film Channel (IFC), WE tv, and two FSN affiliated regional sports networks managed by Rainbow Sports Networks. The company also manages Mag Rack and sportskool, two original on-demand networks; VOOM HD Networks, the largest and most diverse suite of high definition channels available anywhere; IFC Entertainment, its film distribution, production and exhibition division; Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division; and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.