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Joshua Sapan leads Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation. Mr. Sapan has guided Rainbow Media's growth and success for 20 years, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands. Under his leadership, Rainbow Media is now a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution.
Mr. Sapan joined Rainbow Media in 1987 as president of AMC and Bravo. In 1991, he was promoted to chief operating officer, assuming operational responsibility for all Rainbow Media divisions. He became chief executive officer in 1995.
Among Mr. Sapan's many achievements are the development of AMC and Bravo, two well respected entertainment brands. Launched in 1984, AMC defines what it means to be a classic movie network today, creating a distinctive viewing experience with programming that includes critically acclaimed original series like "Hustle" and "Mad Men." The network's first original movie event Broken Trail became the highest-rated program in all of cable television in 2006. Launched in 1980, Bravo made arts and culture an essential part of the television landscape achieving popular and critical acclaim with series such as "Inside the Actors Studio" and "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." In 2002, Bravo was sold to NBC for $1.25 billion.
Rainbow Media also pioneered regional sports television. During its history, Rainbow Media launched 10 regional sports networks around the country, five of them under the brand SportsChannel. Starting in 1998, Rainbow Media partnered with News Corporation, and their collective regional sports networks were branded FSN. In recent years, Rainbow Media re-structured its partnership with News Corporation giving it full ownership of certain regions and most recently sold its interest in its remaining FSN networks outside of New York to Comcast.
Mr. Sapan continued to break new ground with the launch of The Independent Film Channel, fuse and WE tv. Launched in 1994, IFC Television is the first and most widely distributed network dedicated to independent film. fuse, a music television network, was launched by Rainbow Media in 2003 and quickly became the #1 network in P12-34 concentration. fuse now operates as a fourth division of Cablevision owned Madison Square Garden. WE tv launched in 1997 as Romance Classics and today is the home of popular women's programming, including "Bridezillas," "John Edward Cross Country" and "Secret Lives of Women."
IFC Entertainment was developed by Mr. Sapan to extend IFC beyond television and create a leading brand in the independent film community. Through its IFC Entertainment division, Rainbow Media owns and manages: IFC Films, a theatrical feature film distribution company; IFC First Take/IFC in Theaters, a day and date theatrical feature film/VOD initiative; the IFC Center in New York City; IFC Productions, a feature film production company; and IFC Entertainment, which owns and operates a film library. Notable releases from IFC Films include: Oscar®-nominated My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Transamerica, a co-release with The Weinstein Company. IFC Productions has garnered critical acclaim for a number of its films, including Academy Award®-winning Boys Don't Cry and foreign language hit Monsoon Wedding.
Mr. Sapan developed the original On Demand category with Rainbow Media's LIFESKOOL and SPORTSKOOL. LIFESKOOL, formerly Mag Rack, was the first network to deliver made-for-VOD programming in 2001 and today is an On Demand network dedicated to helping individuals make the most of their lives. SPORTSKOOL, now available in more than 23 million homes, is the only On Demand television network dedicated to delivering in-depth sports instruction and coaching for a wide variety of sports.
In the latest chapter of Rainbow Media's history of programming innovation, Mr. Sapan has spearheaded the creation of original high-definition television channels called VOOM HD Networks, which comprise the world's largest suite of high-definition content. VOOM HD Networks are available in the U.S. on Echostar's DISH Network and Cablevision's iO digital cable service.
Mr. Sapan serves on the board of directors for the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), the American Museum of the Moving Image and the International Radio and Television Society Foundation (IRTS); serves on the board of trustees for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA); and serves on the board of advisors for the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) Foundation. He is a recipient of a National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) Vanguard Award; a CTAM GrandTAM Award; an Association of Cable Communicators (ACC) (formerly Cable Television Public Affairs Association) President's Award; a PROMAX Brand Builder Award; and most recently, the CTAM Chairman's Award.
In addition, Mr. Sapan serves as chair of the Executive Committee on the board of directors for People for the American Way, on the board of directors for WNYC Public Radio and on the board of The New School University and the Hebrew Home for the Aged. Mr. Sapan is the author of Cable TV, published by Random House, and is a published poet with his works appearing in more than twenty literary magazines. | 