Joshua Sapan

President & Chief Executive Officer
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC

One of the cable industry's premier innovators and a pioneer in the entertainment industry, Joshua Sapan leads Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation. Mr. Sapan has guided Rainbow Media's growth and success for 21 years, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands including AMC, IFC, WE tv, LIFESKOOL, SPORTSKOOL and VOOM HD Networks. Under his leadership, Rainbow Media is now a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution.

Mr. Sapan joined Rainbow Media in 1987 as president of AMC and Bravo. In 1991, he was promoted to chief operating officer, assuming operational responsibility for all Rainbow Media divisions. He became chief executive officer in 1995.

Among Mr. Sapan's many achievements are the development of AMC and Bravo, two well respected entertainment brands. Launched in 1984, AMC defines what it means to be a classic movie network today creating a distinctive viewing experience with programming that includes original series like Golden Globe® winner "Mad Men" and the critically acclaimed "Breaking Bad." The network's first original movie event Broken Trail became the highest-rated program in all of cable television in 2006. Launched in 1980, Bravo made arts and culture an essential part of the television landscape achieving popular and critical acclaim with series such as "Inside the Actors Studio" and "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." In 2002, Bravo was sold to NBC for $1.25 billion.

Rainbow Media also pioneered regional sports television with the launch of its SportsChannel brand. During its history, Rainbow Media launched 10 regional sports networks around the country. Rainbow Media began a partnership with News Corporation in 1998 through which they launched the Fox Sports Net (FSN) brand, comprised of their collective regional sports networks. In recent years, Rainbow Media exited the regional sports business to focus on its entertainment properties.

Mr. Sapan continued to break new ground with the launch of IFC (The Independent Film Channel), WE tv and fuse. Launched in 1994, IFC is the first and only network dedicated to independent film and related programming. WE tv launched in 1997 as Romance Classics and today is the network dedicated to making emotional connections with women featuring original series such as "Bridezillas," "John Edward Cross Country" and "Secret Lives of Women." fuse, a music television network, was launched by Rainbow Media in 2003 and quickly became the #1 network in P12-34 concentration. fuse now operates as a fourth division of Cablevision owned Madison Square Garden.

IFC Entertainment was developed by Mr. Sapan to extend IFC beyond television and create a leading brand in the independent film community. Through its IFC Entertainment division, Rainbow Media owns and manages: IFC Films, a leading theatrical film distribution company bringing the best of independent films to theaters and to the On Demand platform, day and date, via IFC in Theaters; the IFC Center in New York City; and IFC Productions, a feature film production company. Notable releases from IFC Films include: Oscar®-nominated My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Fahrenheit 9/11, Transamerica (a co-release with The Weinstein Company) and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. IFC Productions has garnered critical acclaim for a number of its films, including Academy Award®-winning Boys Don't Cry and foreign language hit Monsoon Wedding.

Mr. Sapan pioneered the original On Demand category with Rainbow Media's LIFESKOOL and SPORTSKOOL. LIFESKOOL, formerly Mag Rack, was the first network to deliver made-for-VOD programming in 2001 and today is an On Demand network dedicated to helping individuals make the most of their lives. SPORTSKOOL, now available in more than 23 million homes, is the only free On Demand sports network dedicated to delivering one-on-one athletic instruction, training and motivation.

In 2005, Mr. Sapan spearheaded the creation of VOOM HD Networks, the world's largest suite of high-definition content, continuing Rainbow Media's history of programming innovation. VOOM HD Networks' 15 HDTV channels are available in the U.S. on Echostar's DISH Network and Cablevision's iO digital cable service. A 24/7 international linear channel called VOOM HD is currently distributed in Europe and Asia.

Mr. Sapan serves on the board of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), the International Radio and Television Society Foundation (IRTS), the Museum of the Moving Image and the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) Foundation. He is a recipient of a National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) Vanguard Award; a CTAM GrandTAM Award; an Association of Cable Communicators (ACC) (formerly Cable Television Public Affairs Association) President's Award; a PROMAX Brand Builder Award; and most recently, the CTAM Chairman's Award.

In addition, Mr. Sapan serves on the board of People for the American Way, WNYC Public Radio and The New School University. Mr. Sapan is the author of Cable TV, published by Random House, and is a published poet with his works appearing in more than twenty literary magazines.