NEW YORK: Barry Fischer, the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) executive directly responsible for developing Media at the Millennium has been named executive vice president of market strategy for TBS. TBS’ CFO Vicky Miller made the announcement.
Media at the Millennium is a multi-phase research mechanism that provides new insight into US television reach. Fischer’s new position broadens his executive role to include collaboration and consultation on key industry competitive intelligence initiatives, the upfront ad sales market strategy and ad sales support systems and operations. Fischer will maintain direct oversight of strategic marketing projects such as Media at the Millennium that support the company’s positioning of cable television as a substitute for broadcast television.
The New York based Fischer will report to Miller, while working closely with the heads of the Turner Entertainment and CNN News Group sales units, David Levy and Greg D’Alba, respectively, and TBS. Chief Research Officer Jack Wakshlag. Fischer will also continue to serve as a key adviser to Phil Kent. Kent is TBS’ chairman and CEO. In addition Fischer will also serve as adviser to Turner Entertainment Group’s president Mark Lazarus and CNN News Group president Jim Walton.
Miller added, “Barry’s vision and leadership in the Millennium project is one example of his importance to our company and the industry. Expanding his role as an adviser and strategist across Turner Broadcasting, we can more fully leverage Barry’s knowledge and experience and formalise his critical role in analysis and decision-making. His executive colleagues. I look forward to his input and collaboration.”
Media at the Millennium I and II, developed under Fischer by Turner and Nielsen Media Research, proved that cable television could deliver a strategically targeted, high-value audience to advertisers with no loss in audience reach. This had traditionally been thought to be broadcast television’s advantage. Millennium III, a research tool unveiled to the ad community earlier this year allows for virtually instantaneous evaluation of any advertiser’s national television reach. This has furthered industry-wide acceptance of the earlier Millennium conclusions and the increasingly popular One Television World perspective.
Fischer said, “My goal has been to ensure that Turner uses unimpeachable data and analysis to help foster a better understanding of the complex national television landscape. If Millennium III also helps to eliminate the artificial and antiquated boundaries between our networks and those of the broadcasters, then the real winners are our clients. I look forward to continuing to work with our company’s executive team to strengthen Turner’s competitive position in the marketplace.”
Fischer was named recently among the 20 influential industry figures comprising the Ad Age 2003 “Media Mavens” roster. The 25th-anniversary issue of American Demographics magazine included him in its list of 25 leading industry figures.