Rob Barnett – the creator and CEO of MyDamnChannel – is, I think, the only old media executive to successfully bridge the gap between old and new media.
Rob began his career in radio, worked in television at MTV and VH1, and was President of Programming at CBS Radio before he came to the conclusion that the media tides were shifting. As with most great ideas, his was decidedly simple: sign true talent with vetted careers and “get the hell out of the way.” Rob is a notoriously quick deal-maker, and he’s got a knack for discovering and harnessing creative people. That winning combination is a talent in itself.
The result of Rob’s, his team’s and his creative partners’ efforts is some kick-ass content (Cookin’ with Coolio, Carnival of Stuff, and Horrible People, You Suck at Photoshop, Wainy Days) that rivals (and usually beats the hell out of) traditional television.
Subscribe for daily Tubefilter Top Stories
I’ll have the pleasure of continuing this conversation with Rob, and a few other internet-video production visionaries, in a panel discussion at Jeff Pulver‘s Video on the Net conference this coming May 13 and 14 in New York City.