Lindsay Gardner

Lindsay Gardner
Born
Lindsay Gardner

June 3, 1960
NationalityAmerican
Alma materBrandeis University
Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
OccupationMedia executive
Board member ofIZEA, Courage Campaign

Lindsay Gardner (born 1960) is an American media executive and strategist. The senior vice president and chief content officer at T-Mobile, he previously held senior positions at media companies including Miramax, Tribune Media, and AMC Networks.[1] Gardner is also an independent director of IZEA.[2]

Early life and education

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Gardner was born in New York to Harriet Modell Gardner, a writer, and Gerald Gardner, a television writer and producer. He attended Beverly Hills High School and later went on to attend Brandeis University, where he served as the editor of the college's newspaper, The Justice. Gardner graduated from Brandeis University in 1982 and earned an MBA from the Wharton School in 1989.[3][4][5]

Career

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Gardner was recruited by Satellite News Channel (SNC), a 24-hour news channel, and joined the company at its launch in June 1982. After SNC went off the air in 1983 due to distribution issues, Gardner was hired to produce Eyewitness News for WWL-TV, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans. During Gardner’s four years at WWL, Eyewitness News won several awards, including an Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast. Gardner left WWL in 1987 to attend Wharton.[6][7]

In 1989, Gardner was hired by Viewer's Choice, (now iNDEMAND Networks). In 1993 he was named director of programming at Cox Communications, where he launched joint-venture channels with the BBC.[citation needed] In 1999, Gardner joined Fox Networks, and in 2006 he was promoted to president of affiliate sales and marketing. At Fox, he launched networks such as Fox Sports Networks, National Geographic Channel, and Fox Reality. He left Fox in 2007 to become a partner at MediaTech Capital Partners where he co-founded digital media companies, including Channel Islands, Porto Media, and Beijing-based Reach Media.[8][9][10]

From 2010 through 2013, Gardner served as strategic advisor to the CEO of Miramax, developing Miramax's digital distribution plan and its execution through agreements with Netflix and Hulu+.[11] In 2010, he joined Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, as a senior advisor. He was appointed an independent director of IZEA in 2013.[12][13]

Gardner joined the cable television startup Layer3 TV in 2014 as its chief content officer.[14] He coined the phrase "concierge cable" in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter when asked to characterize Layer3's focus on customer experience.[15][16][17]

Layer3 was acquired by T-Mobile in 2018, with its primary executive team retained by the company.[18][19]

Philanthropy and personal life

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Gardner is Chairman of the Board of the Courage Campaign Institute, a Los Angeles based non-profit which seeks to defend and extend human rights through leadership-development training, strategic research and public education.[20][21] He was National Finance Chairman of Rep. Harold Ford Jr.'s 2006 US Senate campaign and was a member of President Obama’s National Finance Committee and a trustee of the Economic Innovation Institute and Action Fund.[22][23]

Gardner currently resides in Denver, Colorado.[3][24]

References

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  1. ^ Baumgartner, Jeff (23 January 2018). "T-Mobile Closes Layer3 TV Acquisition". Multichannel. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  2. ^ Palumbo, Michael (2013-06-27). "Lindsay Gardner Joins IZEA". Variety. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  3. ^ a b "Karen Kesselman, Ad Executive, Wed". New York Times. June 24, 1990. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  4. ^ "Former Justice staffers return to campus for Reunion". Brandeis University. June 12, 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  5. ^ "University of Pennsylvania Commencement" (PDF).
  6. ^ "SNC Final Episode (credits at 6:43)". You Tube. Satelitte News Channel via YouTube. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  7. ^ "WWL TV New Orleans". yatedo.com. Yatedo. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  8. ^ New York Times staff (May 26, 2004). "Fox Shuffles Cable Offerings". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  9. ^ Becker, Ann (March 22, 2007). "Fox Cable Nets Distribution Chief Leaving Company". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  10. ^ Umstead, R. Thomas (August 23, 2007). "Fox Affiliate Chief Exits". Multi Channel News. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  11. ^ Weinstein, Joshua L. (May 26, 2011). "Miramax Pushes into Television". The Wrap. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  12. ^ "IZEA Inc. Common Stock Quote & Summary Data". Nasdaq. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  13. ^ Burnett, Richard (February 12, 2014). "Social-media ad firm raises capital to add 40 jobs". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  14. ^ "Layer3 TV Coming to Denver 'Soon': Report | Multichannel". www.multichannel.com. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
  15. ^ "Startup Takes Aim at Comcast, Time Warner With "Concierge Cable" Service". The Hollywood Reporter.
  16. ^ "Layer3 TV targeting premium market, calls itself 'concierge cable'".
  17. ^ "Pay-TV Startup Targets High-End Video Customers Layer3 TV offers robust package of channels and souped-up set-top box, despite industry's growing focus on cord cutters".
  18. ^ "T-Mobile Closes Layer3 TV Acquisition, Prepares to Take On Cable & Satellite TV".
  19. ^ "How T-Mobile Plans to Replace Your Cable TV Provider".
  20. ^ "Courage Campaign: About". Archived from the original on 15 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  21. ^ "COURAGE CAMPAIGN INSTITUTE BOARD MEMBER LINDSAY GARDNER ELECTED BOARD CHAIR".
  22. ^ Gardner, Lindsay (October 12, 2008). "The Bradley Effect". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  23. ^ "Board of Trustees". Economic Institute. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  24. ^ Daunt, Tina (December 1, 2006). "Their 'View': DeVito is welcomed back". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 August 2015.