Robert W. Pittman
Encyclopedia
Robert Warren "Bob" Pittman (born 28 December 1953), is an American businessman and the founder of MTV
. On October 2, 2011, Pittman was named CEO of Clear Channel Media Holdings, Inc.. Pittman has also been the CEO of MTV Networks
, AOL
, Six Flags Theme Parks, Quantum Media, Century 21 Real Estate
and Time Warner Enterprises, and COO of America Online, Inc. and AOL Time Warner.
He has also been a radio and TV programmer, marketer, media entrepreneur
and investor who has had multiple careers in a number of consumer-focused industries.
, but raised in Brookhaven
and became a radio announcer at the age of 15 to earn money for flying lessons. He was an announcer in a number of cities and then successfully programmed radio stations in Pittsburgh, Chicago and finally at the NBC flagship station, WNBC
, in New York when he was 23 years old. He also produced and co-hosted a music video and news show in 1978 that ran on NBC's O&O television stations. He did learn to fly, and has been a pilot for almost 40 years: He now has over 5,000 flight hours; currently holds an Airline Transport Pilot's license for airplanes; and is rated for helicopters and 3 types of jets.
from a network geared to preschoolers to one aimed at older kids as well as overseeing the launches of VH-1 and Nick at Nite
, and led the initial public offering for MTV Networks
and its expansion into international markets. Under Pittman's leadership, MTV became the first profitable cable network; then-Time Warner Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer Steve Ross
also noted that MTV became the most profitable basic cable network during Pittman's tenure there. For his development of the MTV brand, Advertising Age selected Pittman in 2010 as one of the ten most influential marketers who transformed American Culture.
(one of the company's ventures was the Morton Downey Jr. show, an early television shock talk show), and in 1989, he bought out MCA, sold the assets to Warner Communications
and became senior advisor to Warner Communications CEO Steve Ross
just as Warner was merging with Time Inc.
to create Time Warner
. In 1990, Pittman was appointed President and CEO of Time Warner Enterprises, the new business group of Time Warner, and in 1991 became Chairman and CEO of Six Flags
Theme Parks where his team oversaw the revitalization of the of the Six Flags brand, taking attendance from 17 million to 25 million using a “classic second-place strategy” with their “Bigger than Disneyland, closer to home” positioning of the brand.
as CEO. Pittman and his team grew Century 21 Real Estate through a strategy which included brand-building and national marketing, a new franchise sales organization, and the early adoption of the Internet as a lead-generating tool.
and joined the board of directors of America Online, Inc.; he joined the company as president of AOL Networks in 1996 and later became President and COO of America Online Inc. While at AOL, Pittman led the operating team that moved AOL from 6 million members to over 30 million; took the company profitable; introduced mass market advertising as a revenue source; and continued the mission of making the Internet as easy for consumers to use as the telephone or television. The company’s most memorable ad of that time had the tagline “America Online: So Easy To Use, No Wonder It’s Number One”. After AOL merged with Time Warner in 2001, Pittman became the Co-COO (and eventually COO) of the combined AOL Time Warner before leaving the company in 2002.
, Barrington Broadcasting
, Double O Radio
, North American Membership Group
, Tasting Table and Vital Juice, Tequila Casa Dragones
and also have stakes in companies including David's Bridal
, Next New Networks, Zynga
and Rapleaf, and TrialPay
.
Pilot Group previously sold investments that include Stereogum
and IdealBite, and in August 2008, Pilot Group sold DailyCandy, its initial investment, to Comcast
for a reported $125 million. In January 2010, International market-research firm Ipsos acquired OTX Research from Pilot.
and made a personal equity investment in the Company. In this role, Pittman worked to leverage the Company' media assets and spearhead the further development of a digital strategy for Clear Channel Radio, particulary with regard to its New iHeartRadio digital radio product. Pittman also played a pivotal role in developing the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the biggest live concert festival in radio history, which took place in Las Vegas on September 23-24, 2011.
On October 2, 2011, Pittman was named Chief Executive Officer of CC Media Holdings, Inc. He also joined the Board of Directors of CC Media Holdings, Inc. and Clear Channel Communications
, Inc.; in addition, he joined the Board of Directors of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. as its Executive Chairman. Pittman oversees the company's global media properties including broadcast, digital and mobile, syndication, media representation and Outdoor.
In conjunction with this position, Pittman also maintains his role as Founding Member of Pilot Group and continues his activities as a venture investor. With his return to radio, Huffington Post’s media business expert Charles Warner recently dubbed him “best radio programmer ever” and and ranked by Radio Ink as the most powerful man in radio. "Never before has anyone taken the number one slot on the list in their inaugural year," stated Radio Ink Publisher/CEO B. Eric Rhoads.
, which fights poverty in New York City, and former chairman of the New York Public Theater, and still serves on both boards; he is also on the boards of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Alliance for Lupus Research and the New York City Ballet. He is a former board member of Electronic Arts
, Atari Games
, Excite
, 3DO
, MTV Networks, America Online, HFS/Cendant/Realogy, NYU Medical Center, and AOL Time Warner.
, a merchandise editor at Mademoiselle
and mountaineer, in July 1979; they divorced in 1997. They have one son. He married Veronique Choa, a graphic designer, in 1997; they have two children.
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. On October 2, 2011, Pittman was named CEO of Clear Channel Media Holdings, Inc.. Pittman has also been the CEO of MTV Networks
MTV Networks
MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States...
, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
, Six Flags Theme Parks, Quantum Media, Century 21 Real Estate
Century 21 Real Estate
Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a real estate agent franchise company founded in 1971. The Century 21 System consists of over 8,000 independently owned and operated offices. Other examples of such a system are Coldwell Banker, Engel & Völkers, ERA Real Estate, ...Century 21 has offices in more than...
and Time Warner Enterprises, and COO of America Online, Inc. and AOL Time Warner.
He has also been a radio and TV programmer, marketer, media entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and investor who has had multiple careers in a number of consumer-focused industries.
Early life
Son of a Methodist minister, Pittman was born in Jackson, MississippiJackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, but raised in Brookhaven
Brookhaven, Mississippi
Brookhaven is a small city in Lincoln County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 9,861 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County...
and became a radio announcer at the age of 15 to earn money for flying lessons. He was an announcer in a number of cities and then successfully programmed radio stations in Pittsburgh, Chicago and finally at the NBC flagship station, WNBC
WNBC
WNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...
, in New York when he was 23 years old. He also produced and co-hosted a music video and news show in 1978 that ran on NBC's O&O television stations. He did learn to fly, and has been a pilot for almost 40 years: He now has over 5,000 flight hours; currently holds an Airline Transport Pilot's license for airplanes; and is rated for helicopters and 3 types of jets.
MTV Years
At MTV, he oversaw the creation and growth of MTV and the transition of NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
from a network geared to preschoolers to one aimed at older kids as well as overseeing the launches of VH-1 and Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite is the nighttime Cable network that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon on Sundays from 8.p.m.-7.am., Monday through Fridays from 9 p.m.-7 a.m. and Saturdays from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. . Though it shares channel space with Nickelodeon, A.C. Nielsen Co...
, and led the initial public offering for MTV Networks
MTV Networks
MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States...
and its expansion into international markets. Under Pittman's leadership, MTV became the first profitable cable network; then-Time Warner Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer Steve Ross
Steve Ross
Steve Ross may refer to:* Steve Ross , American movie mogul* Stephen Ross , British politician* Stephen Ross , American economist...
also noted that MTV became the most profitable basic cable network during Pittman's tenure there. For his development of the MTV brand, Advertising Age selected Pittman in 2010 as one of the ten most influential marketers who transformed American Culture.
Quantum Media and Time Warner
After MTV, Pittman founded Quantum Media with MCAMCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
(one of the company's ventures was the Morton Downey Jr. show, an early television shock talk show), and in 1989, he bought out MCA, sold the assets to Warner Communications
Warner Communications
Warner Communications or Warner Communications, Inc. was established in 1971 when Kinney National Company spun off its non-entertainment assets, due to a financial scandal over its parking operations and changed its name....
and became senior advisor to Warner Communications CEO Steve Ross
Steve Ross
Steve Ross may refer to:* Steve Ross , American movie mogul* Stephen Ross , British politician* Stephen Ross , American economist...
just as Warner was merging with Time Inc.
Time Inc.
Time Inc. is a subsidiary of the media conglomerate Time Warner, the company formed by the 1990 merger of the original Time Inc. and Warner Communications. It publishes 130 magazines, most notably its namesake, Time...
to create Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
. In 1990, Pittman was appointed President and CEO of Time Warner Enterprises, the new business group of Time Warner, and in 1991 became Chairman and CEO of Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
Theme Parks where his team oversaw the revitalization of the of the Six Flags brand, taking attendance from 17 million to 25 million using a “classic second-place strategy” with their “Bigger than Disneyland, closer to home” positioning of the brand.
Century 21 Real Estate
After Pittman led a process that led to Time Warner selling a controlling interest in Six Flags to Boston Ventures in 1995, he left to join Century 21 Real EstateCentury 21 Real Estate
Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a real estate agent franchise company founded in 1971. The Century 21 System consists of over 8,000 independently owned and operated offices. Other examples of such a system are Coldwell Banker, Engel & Völkers, ERA Real Estate, ...Century 21 has offices in more than...
as CEO. Pittman and his team grew Century 21 Real Estate through a strategy which included brand-building and national marketing, a new franchise sales organization, and the early adoption of the Internet as a lead-generating tool.
America Online and AOL Time Warner
While at Century 21, Pittman met Steve CaseSteve Case
Stephen McConnell "Steve" Case is an American businessman best known as the co-founder and former chief executive officer and chairman of America Online . Since his retirement as chairman of AOL Time Warner in 2003, he has gone on to build a variety of new businesses through his investment...
and joined the board of directors of America Online, Inc.; he joined the company as president of AOL Networks in 1996 and later became President and COO of America Online Inc. While at AOL, Pittman led the operating team that moved AOL from 6 million members to over 30 million; took the company profitable; introduced mass market advertising as a revenue source; and continued the mission of making the Internet as easy for consumers to use as the telephone or television. The company’s most memorable ad of that time had the tagline “America Online: So Easy To Use, No Wonder It’s Number One”. After AOL merged with Time Warner in 2001, Pittman became the Co-COO (and eventually COO) of the combined AOL Time Warner before leaving the company in 2002.
Pilot Group
Pittman joined a number of his longtime operating team colleagues when he co-founded Pilot Group LLC, a private investment firm based New York in 2003. Pilot and its members have controlling investments in ThrillistThrillist
Thrillist is a leading men's lifestyle brand, currently reaching over 3 million subscribers in 19 local markets in the U.S. and the U.K.Best known for its irreverent tone, Thrillist delivers a targeted recommendation via one email each day to its audience of mostly young, well-educated, affluent...
, Barrington Broadcasting
Barrington Broadcasting
Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC , headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois is an entity wholly focused on broadcast television. The company's assets mainly consist of television stations in middle and small sized markets...
, Double O Radio
Double O Radio
Double O Radio is a privately held media corporation with corporate headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina. The chief executive officer is Terry Bond. Double O Radio owns several radio stations in the United States....
, North American Membership Group
North American Membership Group
The North American Membership Group is an American media company, specializing in membership clubs. It runs 12 membership clubs and 10 magazines. Since 2007 it has been owned by the Pilot Group, a private equity firm run by Robert W...
, Tasting Table and Vital Juice, Tequila Casa Dragones
Casa Dragones
Casa Dragones is a brand of limited edition Blue Agave Joven tequila produced in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. The tequila was founded in 2009 by MTV creator and media mogul Robert W. Pittman and tequila industry expert Bertha González Nieves....
and also have stakes in companies including David's Bridal
David's Bridal
David's Bridal is a clothier in the United States that specializes in wedding dresses, prom gowns, and other formal wear. It is the largest American bridal-store chain.David's Bridal currently operates more than 300 stores in 45 states, Canada and Puerto Rico...
, Next New Networks, Zynga
Zynga
Zynga is a social network game developer located in San Francisco, United States. The company develops browser-based games that work both stand-alone and as application widgets on social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace....
and Rapleaf, and TrialPay
TrialPay
TrialPay is an alternative e-commerce payment system that works according to the “Get It Free” payment model, in which consumers get an item for free from a participating merchant by completing an offer – buying or trying out a product or service – from a TrialPay advertiser.The company...
.
Pilot Group previously sold investments that include Stereogum
Stereogum
Stereogum was one of the first MP3 blogs. It was created by Scott Lapatine in January 2002 with a focus on independent and alternative music news, downloads, videos, and gossip. Stereogum has received several awards and citations, including the 2008 Plug Award for best music blog, Blender's...
and IdealBite, and in August 2008, Pilot Group sold DailyCandy, its initial investment, to Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
for a reported $125 million. In January 2010, International market-research firm Ipsos acquired OTX Research from Pilot.
Clear Channel Media Holdings, Inc.
In November 2010, Pittman took on the role as Chairman of Media and Entertainment Platforms for Clear ChannelClear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
and made a personal equity investment in the Company. In this role, Pittman worked to leverage the Company' media assets and spearhead the further development of a digital strategy for Clear Channel Radio, particulary with regard to its New iHeartRadio digital radio product. Pittman also played a pivotal role in developing the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the biggest live concert festival in radio history, which took place in Las Vegas on September 23-24, 2011.
On October 2, 2011, Pittman was named Chief Executive Officer of CC Media Holdings, Inc. He also joined the Board of Directors of CC Media Holdings, Inc. and Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, Inc.; in addition, he joined the Board of Directors of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. as its Executive Chairman. Pittman oversees the company's global media properties including broadcast, digital and mobile, syndication, media representation and Outdoor.
In conjunction with this position, Pittman also maintains his role as Founding Member of Pilot Group and continues his activities as a venture investor. With his return to radio, Huffington Post’s media business expert Charles Warner recently dubbed him “best radio programmer ever” and and ranked by Radio Ink as the most powerful man in radio. "Never before has anyone taken the number one slot on the list in their inaugural year," stated Radio Ink Publisher/CEO B. Eric Rhoads.
Recent years
Pittman is a philanthropist, building community and philanthropic projects into every business he managed from Live Aid at MTV to educational efforts using the Internet at AOL. He is former chairman of the non-profit Robin Hood FoundationRobin Hood Foundation
The Robin Hood Foundation is a charitable organization, which attempts to alleviate problems caused by poverty in New York, United States.-History:Founded in 1988, Robin Hood was the brainchild of hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones...
, which fights poverty in New York City, and former chairman of the New York Public Theater, and still serves on both boards; he is also on the boards of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Alliance for Lupus Research and the New York City Ballet. He is a former board member of Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, Atari Games
Atari Games
Atari Games Corporation was an American producer of arcade games, and originally part of Atari, Inc..-History:When, in 1984, Warner Communications sold the Atari Consumer division of Atari Inc...
, Excite
Excite
Excite is a collection of Internet sites and services owned by IAC Search & Media, which is a subsidiary of InterActive Corporation . Launched in 1994, it is an online service offering a variety of content, including an Internet portal, a search engine, a web-based email, instant messaging, stock...
, 3DO
The 3DO Company
The 3DO Company , also known as 3DO , was a video game company...
, MTV Networks, America Online, HFS/Cendant/Realogy, NYU Medical Center, and AOL Time Warner.
Awards and Honors
Pittman's many honors include: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial’s 2000 “Ripple of Hope Award” for his commitment to civic and community affairs and his contributions to the advancement of education; induction into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 1999; Cablevision Magazine's "20/20 Vision" award for the 20 people who have had the greatest impact on the cable industry; selection as one of Advertising Age's "50 Pioneers and Visionaries of TV" and recognition as one of Business Week magazine's Top 25 Executives of 1998. He was also named one of Life Magazine's "Five Original Thinkers of the '80s"; recognized as the eighth of Life Magazine's "50 Most Influential Boomers"; included in Time Magazine's 1984 Man-of-the-Year issue "Seven Others who Succeeded"; named Success Magazine’s “Pioneer of the New American Start-Up” in 1989; received the 1986 White House Conference on Small Business Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence and the 1984 Council of Fashion Designers of America award; Performance Magazine’s 1982 “Innovator of the Year” award for his work developing MTV and Billboard Magazine’s “Radio Program Manager of the Year” in 1977. He also received the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate award; International Teleproduction Society’s Lifetime Achievement International Monitor Award and The President's Award and an Honorary Doctorate from Bank Street College of Education the school's highest honor for his many contributions to the advancement of education.Personal life
Pittman married Sandy HillSandy Hill (mountaineer)
Sandy Hill is a published author, a former New York fashion editor and contributing editor to Vogue, Allure and Conde Nast Traveler, and a mountaineer who became famous for being the fourth American woman to ascend the seven summits of the world. She is the 34th woman to ever climb and reach the...
, a merchandise editor at Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle (magazine)
Mademoiselle was an influential women's magazine first published in 1935 by Street and Smith and later acquired by Condé Nast Publications....
and mountaineer, in July 1979; they divorced in 1997. They have one son. He married Veronique Choa, a graphic designer, in 1997; they have two children.
External links
- http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/offers.html?url=%2FUSAToday%2Faccess%2F16429850.html%3Fdids%3D16429850%3A16429850%26FMT%3DFT%26FMTS%3DABS%3AFT%26type%3Dcurrent%26date%3DJan%2B13%252C%2B1997%26author%3DMike%2BSnider%26pub%3DUSA%2BTODAY%2B%28pre-1997%2BFulltext%29%26edition%3D%26startpage%3D01.D%26desc%3DAOL%2Bbanks%2Bon%2Bnew%2BCEO%2BPittman%2527s%2BMidas%2Btouch"AOL banks on new CEO Pittman's Midas touch"]
- Buzzco & MTV. From Frederator Blogs September 2, 2007
- Bob Pittman. From Frederator Blogs September 5, 2006
- The museum of broadcast communications
- Media Megadeal: The Cultures; A Bridge Builder For Corporate Culture
- "Robert Pittman Begins a New Music Channel"
- "Comcast to Buy Daily Candy for $125 Million"
- "Comcast Sets Deal to Buy Daily Candy"
- A Guide To New Food Sites
- "What Will Stimulate Spending? Advertising!"
- "10th Anniversary of the AOL-Time Warner Merger"
- "Bob Pittman, Joe Einhorn, and Justin Shaffer"
- "Invierte en agave creador de MTV"
- "Tasting Table Is The Daily Candy For Foodies"
- "10 Marketers Who Transformed American Culture"
- "Forget Pandora, Will Clear Channel Crush Sirius?"