Washington, DC -- Dick Glover, president and CEO of Funny or Die, Nick Grad, executive vice president of original programming for FX Networks, and Chloe Sladden, director of media partnerships at Twitter, will take the stage at the 2011 NAB Show and dissect how audiences are absorbing video and engaging with television in a session titled "Most Innovative Companies: Where TV and the Web Collide."
Linear television ratings are surging as viewers engage with their favorite shows around the real-time water cooler of social media. Live TV is back with a vengeance-in part thanks to the Internet. At the same time, the rise of digital content makes television yet another screen on which to consume entertainment. How audiences watch video in the age of the social Web is changing, and with audiences increasingly streaming network programming, the lines separating creator, network and device continue to blur. This panel will explore how the television experience is changing and examine the impact of social technologies while sharing insights on where television and the Web are heading. Fast Company articles editor, David Lidsky, will moderate the panel discussion, which will take place in the Content Theater on Tuesday, April 12th at 1pm. The 2011 NAB Show will be held April 9-14 in Las Vegas.
"It's frankly thrilling to be able to cover the speed with which the viewing experience continues to evolve, and Fast Company is excited to be part of the NAB Show in our continuing effort to be at the forefront of this revolution," said Lidsky. "Our panel brings together innovative industry leaders who are driving this change, and I look forward to discussing with them where they see the future of on-screen entertainment heading."
Panelists will offer a glimpse of how content producers and audiences alike will be impacted as the digital age continues to evolve.
Dick Glover is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Funny or Die, the top destination for comedy on the Web, and an award-winning production and distribution company. Under Glover's leadership Funny or Die has grown into a vertically integrated 21st century digital studio that produces high quality content over numerous platforms, operates a social media and marketing division with over 1.9 million Twitter followers and nearly 2 million Facebook fans. The site has over 10 million unique users per month and over 34 million video views per month. Funny or Die also produces an HBO series "Funny or Die Presents," which just concluded its second season, and Funny or Die's first digital feature film is currently in production. Funny or Die's founders are Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy. Judd Apatow is also a principal partner in Funny or Die.
Nick Grad is executive VP of original programming for FX Networks. As head of original programming for FX, Grad was instrumental in the development of the acclaimed and award-winning dramas "Sons of Anarchy" and "Justified," and the acclaimed hit comedies "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Archer," and "The League." In his previous positions at the network, he spearheaded the development of the award-winning dramas "Rescue Me," "Damages" and "Nip/Tuck." Grad joined FX in 2002 after serving as VP of comedy development at Columbia TriStar, where he developed programs such as "King of Queens."
As director of media partnerships at Twitter, Chloe Sladden has spent the last two years leading a team that works with Twitter's media partners to create new and effective approaches to content creation, interactive TV, audience engagement and news reporting through the Twitter platform, with a special focus on television. She previously worked at Current TV, producing the Webby Award-winning "Hack the Debate," "Current Diggs the Election" and "Current Twitters the Inauguration." She also served as a management consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton's media and entertainment practice.
David Lidsky joined Fast Company in March 2004 and currently serves as articles editor, producing features on such companies as Google, Zynga, and Starbucks, as well as editing Fast Company columnists Dan Heath, Chip Heath and Farhad Manjoo. His story "A Modern Mess," about the rise and fall of the retailer Design Within Reach, won the 2010 Deadline Club award for best business feature. In addition, Lidsky is the co-editor of Fast Company's Greatest Hits: Ten Years of the Most Innovative Ideas in Business, published by Portfolio. Prior to joining Fast Company, Lidsky worked at FSB: Fortune Small Business magazine and PC Magazine.