RFD-TV has a new management team, via recruitments and promotions.
The new group has brought more than double the cable affiliates since last year’s National Show and allowed the network to expand into multiple new markets.
The team at RFD-TV -- which bills itself as “rural America’s most important network” -- now includes Ed Frazier, RFD-TV’s new chief operating officer. Frazier has been involved in media and Internet technologies for more than 30 years. He was one of the founding executives of the regional sports networks that make up FSN. Following FSN, Frazier was involved in a joint venture with CoServ in the deployment and creation of advanced-fiber networks.
Bruce Gamache, RFD-TV’s new chief financial officer, has extensive financial and operating experience in developing cable networks and new media. Gamache worked as president of Primedia Digital Video, with the responsibility of developing TV and broadband applications for Primedia’s niche magazine titles. He also spent 12 years at HBO and its affiliated companies as a senior executive in finance and in international development. Gamache was a key member of the team that launched HBO’s channels in Latin America. He later became COO and CFO of the HBO Latin America Group.
Glenn Gurgiolo, who recently joined RFD-TV as director of affiliate sales, pioneered pay TV in the 1970s, pay-per-view in the 1980s, direct-to-home distribution in the 1990s and Internet-protocol-video syndication this decade. His production credits include both executive-producer and producer titles for live sports and HD series. Gurgiolo’s senior-level positions were as vice president of Lorimar Sports Networks, VP and general manager of Prime Network, president of Satellite Sports Network and president of FSN.
RFD-TV executive VP Mike Hansenhas a long history in broadcasting, media research and management. He began more than 30 years ago as an on-air farm broadcaster both at the single station and network level. Moving from national marketing and broadcast sales to management of broadcast properties, his involvement in research development of agricultural media has put him as the lead on projects for many broadcast organizations.
Jeremiah Davis, RFD-TV’s new program director, started his career in radio as on-air talent. He also worked for WJXA Mix 92.9 and Oldies 96.3 in the promotions department. From there, Davis took a job as a board operator for nationally syndicated talk show The Delilah Show. To make his transfer into the television industry, Davis worked for The Jason Expedition, CMT’s Outlaw Show, Great American Country’s Great American Weekend, the National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators and the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans.
Heather Spillman was recently promoted to production manager at RFD- TV’s Nashville, Tenn., studios. She began her career in television at ABC affiliate WBKO-13 in Bowling Green, Ky., as a production assistant. She has also worked for NBC affiliate WSMV as promotion producer and WPSD as senior promotions producer.
Spillman worked for Scripps Networks in its network-operations center, for Speer Communications as master control supervisor and for Langley Productions as production manager. Her free-lance work has included ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, the Predators and Jefferson Pilot Sports.
Andy Denes, RFD-TV’s GM, has been involved in media-content development, production and presentation for 30 years. With an emphasis in corporate/industrial communications, he’s worn the mantel of executive producer, producer, director, writer and editor for a wide range of clients in fields as diverse as the hospitality industry, food service, technology, airlines, agriculture, the military and academia.
