The National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), a group that strikes programming and equipment deals for nearly 1,000 independent operators, has hired John Childress as vice president of product strategy and management.
Childress, who most recently worked in product development and management of residential services at WideOpenWest, enters a new role at the NCTC in which he’ll focus on developing new service solutions with supplier-partners and aid co-op members in providing more advanced capabilities. Childress is also late of BendBroadband (sold to TDS Telecom in 2014) and SBC Communications (now part of AT&T).
For more about NCTC’s strategy in this area, including its emphasis on over-the-top options and “alternative content models, please see this week’s Next TV interview with Rich Fickle (subscription required), the group’s CEO and president.
“There are substantial changes in the way video is being distributed, discovered and consumed,” Fickle said, in a statement. “At the same time, larger MVPDs are performing more new product development in-house to provide a differentiated advantage in the market. This means traditional industry suppliers are less able to bring new capabilities to the group of small to mid-sized operators. We saw a need to help supplier-partners be more effective in working with our large group of members, fostering innovation and scale. The good news is, many of our members are very entrepreneurial and can move quickly. We are hoping to combine that strength with an ability to attract partners with potential for requisite scale.”
“The NCTC is a mix of proven companies with great ideas and an adaptable spirit,” Childress added. “I am thrilled to be working in an environment where we can help create value for the members quickly.”
Childress received an MBA from Saint Mary’s College of California and received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego. He will work out of Denver.
