11 Top TV Execs on the Biggest Thing They Learned During the Pandemic

Last year at this time, Adweek asked several of the most prominent TV executives to talk about the industry’s biggest challenges as they looked ahead to 2020. While their responses were insightful, of course none of them anticipated the thing that actually upended the industry—and the rest of the world—this year: Covid-19. So as part of our Year in Review coverage, we asked many of the industry’s key players to reflect on the biggest things they’ve learned since the pandemic began, what about the business has changed permanently because of Covid-19 and how their approach to their job has been altered as a result. Here’s how 11 top TV execs—who oversee broadcast, cable and streaming outlets—answered those questions. In the coming days, we’ll also hear from TV ad sales chiefs, buyers and analysts about how the pandemic has changed the business and what’s ahead for 2021. What's the biggest thing you've learned since the pandemic began? Frances Berwick, chairman of entertainment networks, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming: My most profound learnings over these past nine months have all been centered around how innovative and creative we got as an industry when faced with seemingly impossible obstacles. It has been genuinely inspiring to see how quickly our internal studios and third-party production partners were able to adjust to remote editing and restart production with full Covid-19 safety protocols, and how our talent put their trust in us throughout these challenging times. And I learned that if we rise to the occasion, our audience will follow us. From the 22 million Americans who watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC to the launch of Bravo’s biggest series premiere in nearly five years with The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, we’ve rolled out close to 2,000 hours of original content across NBC, our station partners, our syndication studio and our six cable entertainment networks since the start of quarantine. We’ve delivered immersive storytelling and heartwarming spectacle—and we have been rewarded with deeper engagement and scale. The 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Will Have No Spectators—but Plenty of Advertisers Rick Cordella, evp and chief revenue officer, Peacock: As individuals and an organization, it is amazing what we can accomplish working remotely. At Peacock, we were able to quickly make necessary pivots and hit the deadlines we set for ourselves prior to the pandemic, including a soft launch on April 15 and national launch on July 15. Our people are spread across different states and continents, but we are operating as effectively and efficiently as ever. Kathleen Finch, chief lifestyle brands officer, Discovery Inc.: The power that solving huge problems can unleash in smart, motivated and collaborative teams. In the face of all the terrible events this year, it was incredibly exciting to design new ways to make sure our viewers had fresh episodes of the programming they love—and needed more than ever while stuck at home. We invented new methods for shooting and editing our shows, we turned episodes around in a matter of days, and did everything possible to make sure our networks provided a comforting respite for a stressed out nation. It was a daunting challenge, but we produced 500 episodes during shutdown and it’s been the most gratifying experience I’ve ever had in my career. Andy Forssell, head of HBO Max Global: The rapid growth in audiences and hours viewed we’ve experienced on HBO Max makes very clear that great storytelling is more important than ever—that in times of stress, whether it be dramatic or escapist, entertainment plays an incredibly important role in people’s lives. Kelly Kahl, president, CBS Entertainment: Not that I didn't think we had a terrific, talented team before, but I'm now constantly blown away by the creativity, innovation, and the dedication of both our execs and the people who produce our shows. John Landgraf, chairman, FX Networks and FX Productions: Some people have much more compassion, courage and self-discipline than I had imagined. Others have much less. I would have thought more people were closer to a common average on these fronts. Farhad Massoudi, CEO, Tubi: I learned that we could be very efficient and effective working remotely, and I underestimated how much could be done. I also realized how much I loved being in the office. I very much miss seeing my colleagues and the Tubi team every day. It’s a double-edged sword. Tubi Touts Family-Friendly Programming During First-Ever NewFronts Chris McCarthy, president, MTV Entertainment, ViacomCBS: Empathy. The pandemic has exacerbated and accelerated change and the challenges we’re all facing in our everyday personal and professional lives. Through this experience, I’ve learned the power of empathy and the ability to meet people where they are and try to find a path together. There’s an ancient Greek quote that says: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” That has never been more true than it is today. Mark Pedowitz, chairman and CEO, The CW: Personally, spending all of this time at home has given my wife and I the opportunity to learn how to cook together. Professionally speaking, I’ve managed to develop a very zen-like approach to things as we’ve planned for next year and gotten shows back up and running. Back in May, we were the first to proactively and strategically plan our new season to launch in January 2021 to give our creative teams ample time to plan their production and delivery schedules, and through the challenges and breakthroughs of the past several months, we all learned to be even more creative, more patient and above all, more flexible with every aspect of the business. Brett Weitz, general manager, TBS, TNT and truTV: Distance from one another can be overcome. It used to seem almost untenable to have offices in L.A., New York and Atlanta—now we each have individual offices all over the world and we’re making it work. With everyone having the same mission and rowing in the same direction, we’ve been able to reimagine how we do our business, and I haven’t seen a dip in excellence anywhere. On top of that, when the lockdown first happened and our backs were against the wall, my dedicated and determined group responded with new levels of innovation and creativity so we could continue to meet the needs of our fans. I also learned that if your family uses all the ice during the summer, reposado tequila is just as good with one rock versus two. Jana Winograde, president of entertainment, Showtime Networks: I always knew I enjoyed being in the office and the day-to-day camaraderie I have with my colleagues, but I could never have imagined how much I would miss it. Zoom is an amazing technology, and there’s a lot it can supplant to enable productivity, but it can’t replace the energy and inspiration I get from being around the Showtime team. This Instagram Account Recruiting for a Moon Mission Is Actually a Showtime Stunt What is one thing about the way you do business that you think has changed permanently as a result of the pandemic? And what is one way your approach to your job has changed as a result of this year's events? Berwick, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming: The immediacy that video meetings allow has made us all much more nimble and facile in our approach. Even as certain aspects of our jobs have become more complicated, we can streamline and simplify a lot of processes. We are a bicoastal operation and in the past that has sometimes felt like a big divide, but now it feels like we’re one unit… ironically with people who are actually spread across the country. With most of our teams now working from home, I’m leaning into being as accessible, communicative and flexible as possible. There’s always more to do, but if we can be really clear about our business strategy and priorities, and about the culture we want to build—all while providing flexibility around work-from-home challenges—I believe we’ll create the best environment for creativity and success. Cordella, Peacock: I’m going to wave goodbye to everyone at the conclusion of every meeting, even when we’re back in person. But seriously, a virtual work environment has made us more deliberate around maintaining strong relationships with our co-workers. These are tough, unprecedented times for everyone. And while we’ve lost the invaluable spontaneous hallway conversations and quick catch-ups before and after in-person meetings, it’s required us to make a thoughtful, conscious effort to create those moments and go beyond scheduled work meetings to really check in with people on a personal level. When we return to the office, we need to continue to set aside and prioritize that time with our colleagues and team members. Finch, Discovery Inc.: We’ve embraced a guerilla-style approach to producing content to keep our network pipelines full. It began out of necessity—to keep premieres on the air while competitors went to repeats—but it turns out it’s incredibly energizing to work this way. Our creativity is at an all-time high, we’ve taken more risks and tried more new ideas than we ever have before, and it’s paid off in ratings. Food Network, TLC and HGTV defied industry trends in 2020 with ratings growth and multiple successful freshman series. Some of the more personal, stripped-down storytelling techniques like talent shooting themselves on mobile phones or conducting interviews via Zoom have really resonated with fans who love the authenticity and relatability. That realness is something we will definitely continue going forward. This year has given me a new perspective on the importance that television holds for making people’s lives better, especially when times are hard. A record number of viewers turned to our networks this year—for cooking and home improvement at Food Network and HGTV, relationship stories at TLC, and to lose themselves watching mysteries solved on ID. Our unique, specialized networks provided the comfort and happy endings viewers craved to help deal with the turmoil of the outside world. There’s real value in the ability to give people comfort and relief, and I will forever approach making television shows as something more important than just providing 30 or 60 minutes of diversion. We have the ability to really impact lives in a special way. Discovery+ Doesn’t Want to be the Next Netflix. It’s Targeting Disney+ Instead Forssell, HBO Max Global: While face-to-face interactions are invaluable and we all can’t wait to see each other in person, we’ve learned that our HBO Max teams are amazingly adaptable and have performed at a very high level despite having to operate remotely. I’m incredibly proud of how our folks have launched a brand new platform and grown it rapidly under conditions that a year ago, we would have thought would slow things to a crawl. While we will take great pleasure in getting back to the office when it’s safe to do so, we’ve learned that the level of world class talent on our teams is what’s critical, far more than where that talent calls home. Kahl, CBS Entertainment: I think the concept of "being there" at a pitch, table read or run through has really changed. While joining virtually isn't the same as being there physically, I think it's given more of our people a valuable opportunity to participate in the process and to learn from the experience. Landgraf, FX Networks and FX Productions: I think while we will return to a face-to-face process that feels more normal, a new permanent state will emerge in which there is a little less travel and a few more virtual meetings after the pandemic than before. Also, I think handshakes and cheek kisses as a standard greeting are now a thing of the past. Get used to the elbow bump, folks. Massoudi, Tubi: I think how we work and how we use office space is forever going to change, and how often we come in the office. Even when we start going back, no doubt we’re going to be looking at things like in-person meetings or business meetings much differently. Digital technologies like Zoom and Slack have been rapidly adopted by millions—which help keep us connected despite us being apart. It’s pretty clear that anything digital was the way of the future, and now we’ve stepped into the future much faster than anyone expected. I’ve always believed in evolving Tubi’s culture and processes as both the company grows and the world changes. This year’s events have made me think harder about how we want to change and evolve them. Building a company culture over the past nine months has been dramatically different and more challenging than it’s ever been. There’s a lot more work to be done. McCarthy, ViacomCBS: Everything. I have been humbled by the power of our team to meet every challenge, reimagine the way we work and creatively flourish—making our brands and business stronger for it. Necessity is the mother of reinvention and now, more than ever, I have learned that the best approach is to run into the change and help drive it. Why ViacomCBS Rebranded CBS All Access as Paramount+ and Not Paramount All Access Pedowitz, The CW: The need to be more flexible and more nimble when faced with unforeseen challenges is something that I believe will stick with all of us for years to come. Another key aspect that has likely changed permanently for The CW specifically has been our presence in the international acquisitions marketplace. We became very active over the past nine months, acquiring international series and formats, and I believe that will most definitely continue. Plus, during the pandemic, we all witnessed the country’s awakening to the social justice issues that need to be addressed, and I was reminded of how critical it is to spend time listening to employees and ensuring that the company continues its pursuit in becoming diverse, equitable and inclusive. Weitz, TBS, TNT and truTV: How we work will never be the same. Employers and employees together will force a change from the long days and long weeks in an office. Not to mention the long commutes. There’s an opportunity to keep the best parts of office culture: camaraderie, access to top-flight resources, free coffee, while shaving away the inefficiencies and poor work/life balance. This is a real chance to reshape things for the better. There is no permanent playbook—it needs to be rewritten every single day. Your expectations don’t have to change, but to think you can work off the same plan each day is naïve and antiquated. Winograde, Showtime Networks: I don’t believe most people will spend as much time physically in the office. We’ve learned that most of us can do our jobs remotely if we have to, and I would imagine many companies will choose going to a hybrid of at-home and in-office workdays. Without being in the office, I realize how much I relied on the informal communication that happens in offices, hallways and at coffee stations. I’ve had to be much more careful about ensuring that there is formal information flow to make up for the lack of informal flow. I’ve also had to start scheduling “informal conversations” to just catch up with my colleagues!