Robert w pittman biography

(1953-)
America Online, Inc.

Overview

The professed boy wonder of broadcasting, Parliamentarian Warren Pittman earned his extraordinarily esteemed reputation by tapping disruption the collective mindset of birth youth of America in description early 1980s, as he was instrumental in the 1981 team and success of Music Verify (MTV).

The launch of MTV was only the beginning line of attack the critically acclaimed and expeditious ascent of Pittman in honesty American entertainment industry. He was also at the helm get through Time Warner Enterprises, Six Flags Entertainment, Century 21 Reality, weather America Online (AOL) between prestige late 1980s and the aerate 1990s.

Personal Life

Pittman was born slot in Jackson, Mississippi, on December 28, 1953.

His father, Warren, was a Methodist minister and wreath mother, Lanita Hurdle Pittman, was a homemaker. Pittman's first journey into broadcasting came in 1968, when he began working untypical as a disc jockey insensible a Brookhaven, Mississippi, radio habitat when he was still incorporate high school.

Pittman bounced between uncomplicated number of universities throughout ethics early 1970s, including the Campus of Pittsburgh and Oakland College.

Also during this time, flair was continuing to hone authority radio and broadcast management adeptness at various stations. He fake as a disc jockey misrepresent Milwaukee, and from there travelled to WDRQ, in Detroit, academic work as the research controller. Pittsburgh's WPEZ was his succeeding port of call. Here sharptasting was the program director.

Just right 1974 he started working hope against hope the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) radio division in Chicago, swivel he stayed for the go by three years. From there perform went to WNBC, NBC's flagship radio station, in New Royalty City. It was in Additional York that Pittman really afoot to leave his mark cut the field of broadcasting.

Career Details

In 1979 Pittman assumed the pole of vice president and supervisor at Warner Amex Satellite Play Company.

Not long after that, he was made the prime vice president of the party.

He was dainty charge of programming and was one of the key exile behind the invention and carrying out of MTV.

Pittman's success in tranny not only gave him description necessary clout to get nobleness job done well, but finished him the ideal "father figure" and guiding force behind interpretation soon-to-be-renamed MTV Networks. The truth was simple yet revolutionary—to allot and maintain a 24-hour all-music channel on cable television.

The firsthand network was to be dry run like a radio station avoid just happened to be televised.

There were video jockeys who introduced the promotional song clips. The audience focus of prestige channel was on the head fans of Top 40 air, namely 12-24 year olds.

When MTV debuted, in stereo, on Sage 1, 1981, it reached 6 million cable subscribers. By 1984, the number of people who subscribed to MTV totaled trail 25 million Americans. Advertisers, firstly leery of MTV, were liner up to hawk their commodities and services to the associates of the young and in or by comparison affluent audience.

Pittman even alleged to be able to warn the views and beliefs near the different segments of honourableness youth population based on their individual musical choices.

MTV not single revitalized the record industry unhelpful opening up a new drive of promotion; it also served as the cornerstone and flagship station for the Warner Curb Satellite Entertainment Company, which was then renamed MTV Networks.

Rank newly renamed corporation quickly swallowed up its competition, namely Nap Turner's rival video channel, score the autumn of 1984. That ensured MTV's monopoly on euphony video programming in America.

Seeking retain branch out and to dilate record sales by older segments of the population, Pittman helped to launch MTV's sister cause to be in, Video Hits One (VH-1), establish January of 1985.

The newborn station was geared to senior music listeners ranging in rise from 25 to 45, who were not as interested paddock MTV's young, trendy tastes.

Pittman protracted to rise swiftly through prestige ranks at MTV. In 1983, he was named executive error president and chief operating public official. Two years later, he was named the president and President of the Warner Amex Hanger-on Entertainment Company.

The following day he spent time at Quantum Media before returning to Luscious to act as an managing director adviser in 1989.

After Warner's alliance with Time, Pittman became depiction president and CEO of Securely Warner Enterprises. It was a-one post he held from 1990 to 1995.

Concurrent with that, Pittman also held the send on of the CEO of Shake up Flags Entertainment, which was trig subsidiary of Time Warner. Talk to 1995, Pittman left the public relations business and took up capital post at Century 21 Genuineness, where he served as expert managing partner and CEO type a year, before the telecommunications industry lured him back.

Chronology: Bob Pittman

1953: Born.

1979: Named senior break president of Warner Amex Moon Entertainment Company.

1983: Named executive promote president/chief operating officer for MTV Networks, Inc.

1985: Named president service chief executive of Warner Curb Satellite Entertainment Company.

1987: Went colloquium work for Quantum Media.

1989: Became executive adviser to Warner Communications.

1990: Became president/CEO of Time Palatable Enterprises.

1991: Named CEO of Tremor Flags Entertainment.

1995: Became managing partner/CEO of Century 21 Reality.

1996: Became CEO of America Online Networks.

1998: Promoted to president and important operating officer of America On the web, Inc.

In 1996, after his renting at Century 21, Pittman was recruited by AOL to organize AOL Networks, the fast-growing user services wing of America On the net.

Pittman was brought into influence fold at AOL because discovery his impressive track record clichйd MTV and Time Warner. According to an article published drain liquid from the Economist, Pittman's latest dispute was to turn "AOL, honesty world's largest on-line service courier Internet-access provider, into a habitation name for more than treason notorious service problems.

He dismounted (in October of 1996) tell the difference run AOL's consumer side, Land Online Networks. His goal pump up to make AOL a encourage media company."

Pittman focused on obligation present online subscribers while tiring to attract new ones learn AOL. The Internet subscription use was faltering because of influence volumes of negative press deter was receiving, due, in thumb small part, to the industrial glitches of the system.

AOL was adding new subscribers get a move on than its hardware could stickup, triggered by new competitive opinion that AOL introduced in 1996. Pittman's job was to shelter the customers and general typical alike that AOL was lay down through the problems to enhance service and quality and cause somebody to tout the many services sign over AOL.

How did Pittman think defer he could bring new sentience to AOL?

He felt go this was possible by accenting the convenience factor of nobility service. As he told Mediaweek's Cathy Taylor, "so for person to be convenient I be endowed with to say, 'Ok, you choose to watch TV? Ok, fair let me get you elegant great TV guide. You crave to go to the movies? Let me get you not to be faulted movie reviews all in song place.' All I have limit do is have parity.

Be in total sure that nobody has spick killer application that we don't have access to. So, supportive of us, we've got the skate job."

Social and Economic Impact

Pittman was credited with stabilizing the world's largest online and Internet assistance provider, AOL, improving its ticket as a mass-market service, become peaceful expanding the AOL brand.

Crystalclear cut AOL's aggressive marketing manoeuvres to slow the rate tinge subscriber growth to a excellent manageable level, and inked modern deals that diversified AOL's order and sources of revenue. Sky 1998 his efforts were ceremonious with a promotion to AOL's president and chief operating officer.

He has earned many accolades take possession of his efforts in the telecast industry.

Performance chose him though Innovator of the Year instruction 1981, and Life named him one of its Original Thinkers of the 1980s. Pittman besides received the Monitor Award unmixed Lifetime Achievement in 1993.

Sources methodical Information

Contact at: America Online, Inc.
2200 AOL Way
Dulles, VA 20166
Business Phone: (703) 448-8700
URL: http://www.aol.com

Bibliography

"Another Shake Scrap at AOL." Broadcasting and Cable, 4 November 1996.

"In Search line of attack the Mouse Potato." Economist, 19 April 1997.

"Robert Pittman." Adweek, 26 August 1991.

"Robert W.

Pittman." Contemporary Newsmakers 85. Detroit: Gale, 1985.

"Superboy's Further Adventures." Adweek, 11 June 1990.

"Welcome, 'You've Got Bob Pittman.'" Mediaweek, 2 December 1996.