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| MARKETING:
ADVERTORIALS Jeff Schwall :: Time Warner ---------------------------- Don’t tell Jeff Schwall that there’s nothing to watch on television. This is a man who has access to Sex and the City and who’s also the kingpin for The Sopranos’ local “operations.” If those HBO programs aren’t your cup of tea, then he has up to 199 other entertainment channels. As President and CEO of Time Warner Cable of San Diego, Schwall knows that cable TV is hot right now and can tout a growing base of 200,000 local subscribers. Clearly, the audience is listening and they’re getting the picture: premium channels, digital channels and pay-per-view channels with, as the company Web site says, “the latest blockbuster films, boxing, concerts, wrestling, and special events.” Schwall, an 18-year veteran of Time Warner, is also excited about a time when channels won’t even matter. That’s because the next big thing is video-on-demand, which uses digital signals to deliver entertainment directly to subscribers’ homes. Time Warner is tentatively eyeing an early 2001 rollout for this service. “ Ultimately, the way to look at things is not in terms of channels. We’re going to simply have access to programming. Almost everything will be on demand,” says Schwall. “The functionality of the service is such that your remote control will allow you to stop, start, pause...all the things you do with a VCR and you can order a movie, event or even your favorite sitcom anytime.” Currently, Schwall comes bearing other fiber optic options. Time Warner’s Road Runner offers a constant connection to the Internet with no dial-up wait. Road Runner blazes on the same line as residents’ cable, thus freeing up their phone line. Prior to coming to San Diego in fall 1999, he was President of Time Warner Cable International for eight years. When Time Warner made a strategic decision to exit the international marketplace, Schwall leapt at the chance to lead a key market like San Diego. The Akron, Ohio native sees great potential for locals and their relationship with Time Warner. “We believe in our value proposition,” he says. “The future is going to be rich in terms of available cable programming and Internet services. It becomes a matter of how we deliver that and how customers want to access it. This is a very exciting business to be in.” Originally published in San Diego magazine June 2000. |
