Tom Rogers (executive)

Tom Rogers is an American media/technology executive. As the first President of NBC Cable, he helped popularize business and news coverage through the creation of CNBC, and MSNBC. As President and CEO of TiVo, he changed American TV consumption, including innovations like bringing Netflix and Amazon to television to initiate the streaming era.

As Chairman and CEO of Primedia (NYSE), he oversaw brands such as New York Magazine. He managed many key cable brands including serving as Co-chairman of Arts & Entertainment, and History channels. As the senior counsel to the House Telecommunications Subcommittee, he wrote many of the nation's key laws that governed the development of today's media industry.

Today he serves as Chairman of Oorbit Gaming and Entertainment, as well as Editor-At-Large of Newsweek, a digital and print publication reaching millions of unique users online per month; is also a CNBC Contributor; along with being chairman and CEO of TRget Media.

He was Executive Chairman of Engine Gaming and Media (NASDAQ), Chairman of Frankly Media (NASDAQ), Chairman of Captify, as well as Executive Chairman of WinView Games.

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Early life and education

Rogers graduated in 1972 from Scarsdale High School in Scarsdale, New York; and later received degrees from Wesleyan University and Columbia Law School. He serves on the Dean's Council of Columbia Law School, and the joint Columbia Law School/Columbia Business School Richman Center.

Career

Oorbit

Rogers has been Executive Chairman of Oorbit Gaming and Entertainment since September 2023.

In announcing the appointment of Rogers, Ash Koosha, President and CEO of Oorbit, said: “From steering TiVo as the first company to stream Netflix and Amazon to the TV set, to providing the marketplace with advanced measurements of streaming gaming and esports at Engine, it is clear that Tom has had a major impact throughout the media world.”

Newsweek

Rogers is Editor-at-Large for ''Newsweek'', and writes columns on policy and political issues for the publication. He often appears on Morning Joe on MSNBC to discuss his Newsweek commentaries.

CNBC

Rogers is a CNBC contributor and has been a frequent guest on business news channels including Fox Business Network and Bloomberg TV. Notable appearances include CNBC's Squawk on the Street, CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer, CNBC's Fast Money (talk show), and Fox Business Network's Countdown to the Closing Bell.

TRget Media, LLC

Rogers currently serves as Chairman of TRget Media, LLC, a media investment and operations advisory firm.

Frequency Networks, Inc.

Rogers serves as an independent director on the board of Frequency, Inc.

Engine Gaming and Media Inc.

From 2020 to 2023, Rogers was Executive Chairman of Engine Gaming and Media, Inc., (a Nasdaq listed company trading under the symbol GAME) and then Executive Chairman of Gamesquare, Inc., which merged with Engine Gaming and now trades as GAME on Nasdaq.

WinView, Inc.

Appointed in May 2016, Rogers was Executive Chairman of WinView Games, Inc., a Silicon Valley company, until the merger creating Engine Media. WinView provided a platform for competitive social games for money while watching live sports on TV, backed by a substantial patent portfolio.

Frankly, Inc.

In March 2017, Rogers was appointed Chairman of Frankly, Inc., a publicly traded company that managed the digital and mobile news distribution for local broadcast stations and other media properties, including ''Newsweek'', throughout the United States. He served in this capacity until the merger creating Engine Media.

Captify, Limited

Rogers was Chairman of Captify, Limited, a UK based advertising technology company. He was appointed to his post in 2018 and served in that capacity until the company's sale in 2022. Captify's primary offering is aggregating over 40 billion pieces of internet search data a month to enable major brands around the world to effectively target their marketing efforts.

TiVo, Inc.

From 2005 to 2016, Rogers served as President and CEO of TiVo, Inc., the longest such tenure in the company's history. TiVo changed television viewing behavior through its invention of the DVR. TiVo was sold to Rovi in 2016 when Rovi adopted the TiVo name.

PRIMEDIA, Inc.

Before TiVo, Rogers was Chairman and CEO of PRIMEDIA Inc., which was then the leading targeted media company in the United States. PRIMEDIA published some 200 magazines, including ''New York Magazine''; operated more than 400 websites; and owned a wide range of television and video businesses.

NBC Universal Cable

Rogers was first President of NBC Cable (now NBCUniversal Cable) and Executive Vice President of NBC, as well as NBC's chief strategist. Among his accomplishments, Rogers founded CNBC, a leading business news channel and established the NBC/Microsoft cable channel and internet joint venture, MSNBC.

During his tenure at NBC Cable, Rogers oversaw the establishment of the National Geographic Channel, Court TV and Independent Film Channel, and served as co-chairman of the board of A&E Television Networks and The History Channel for 10 years. In addition, he oversaw American Movie Classics, Bravo (U.S. TV network), and several regional sports channels.

U.S. House of Representatives Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance Subcommittee

Prior to NBC, Rogers was the senior counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance Subcommittee, where he was responsible for drafting a number of communications laws including the Cable Franchise Policy and Communications Act of 1984, which established the federal regulatory framework for the cable industry, and for overseeing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Additional career

Rogers served as the senior operating executive for media and entertainment for Cerberus Capital Management, a large private equity firm, and as chairman of the board of Teleglobe (now VSNL International Canada), a leading international telecommunications, voice-over-internet, and mobile telephony provider.

From 1994 to 1999 Tom served for four years as the president and one year as Chairman of the International Academy of Television.

Rogers served as Vice Chairman of Supermedia (NYSE: SPMD), a spinoff of Verizon Communications' Yellow Pages print and digital business.

Rogers began his career as an attorney with a Wall Street law firm. He also serves on the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy.

Awards

Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame

During his 2013 induction into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric, said:

"Tom came in to, if you will, put NBC in the cable business. At NBC, no one had respect for cable, they were broadcasters and never the twain shall meet. Those two words didn’t go together easily. He legitimized it. He made it a place to be."

Lesley Stahl of CBS News, in announcing his induction into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, said, "Rogers is a guy who gets things done... and he transforms companies along the way."

Cable Hall of Fame

Rogers was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2016. Morning Joe hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough said, "He started MSNBC and took TiVo by storm...Tom is a legend."

Emmy Awards

Rogers won a 2006 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement In Enhanced or Interactive Television.

Ellis Island Honor Society

Rogers was given the 2024 Ellis Island Honor Society award along with TV personality Whoopi Goldberg, Fortune CEO Alan Murray, philanthropist David Rockefeller Jr., and CEO of The Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Tom
American television executives
American entertainment industry businesspeople
Living people
Wesleyan University alumni
Columbia Law School alumni
Businesspeople from Scarsdale, New York
Scarsdale High School alumni
Emmy Award winners
Year of birth missing (living people)
Newsweek people