TBS Chief Levy Has Mobile On His Mind

Turner Broadcasting President David Levy is worried about mobile TV, specifically having its networks TNT, TBS and Cartoon Network fall behind competitors that are expanding to mobile platforms.

“My fear is keeping up with technology,” said Levy today at the NATPE conference in Miami Beach, Fla. He was interviewed by Robert Friedman, CEO of Bungalow Media and Entertainment, in a one-on-one “Masters of Marketing” session.

“We produce content for digital and television,” he said. “The one area we are concerned about is mobile. Impressions are skyrocketing. Penetration is huge. But we have to get to a point with advertisers where we figure out how to monetize it.”

He added that he spends a lot of time thinking about technology and advances in audience measurement. “Data is so important for advertisers,” he said. “But we also need to know our audience for programming.”

Levy, a 27-year Turner veteran, laid out some of his plans for Turner, including building up its truTV network, steering clear of Spanish-language networks but not Hispanic viewers, and the advantages of acquiring established programming platforms such as the Bleacher Report.

Regarding truTV, which airs mostly low-brow reality shows like Operation Repo, he said he’s ready to broaden its appeal.

“TruTV is the little brand with the biggest opportunity in our company,” Levy said. “If I make a mistake with a program, it doesn’t affect our bottom line much. We are changing the brand’s infrastructure to be less about Operation Repo and to get more mainstream.”

He said it’s tougher to experiment with programming on Turner’s higher rated networks. “It’s harder with my oil tankers, TNT and TBS,” he said. “But with truTV we can really take big shots.”

Meantime, he acknowledged that Turner is trying to appeal more to the United States’ 52 million Hispanics, although with no plans for a Spanish-language network.

“Time Warner has focused on in-language Hispanic with Time Inc., AOL and HBO,” Levy said. “Turner has not gotten into in-language Spanish, and I don’t think we will. But you have to market to the Hispanic population. It’s a huge audience.”

He also said Turner likes to acquire programming platforms such as comedy outlet Funny or Die, which it has a stake in, and sports outlet the Bleacher Report, which it bought in 2012, for a number of reasons, including acquiring talent.

“You get good content, but you also get good management,” he said. “People are an incredible resource. You often buy a brand for its content and for its people.”

A digital platform such as the Bleacher Report can also be repurposed on other outlets, like CNN.com. And having it boosts Turner’s negotiating power.

“We have gone outside our portfolio brands, one of which is Bleacher Report, because we needed a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week sports destination,” Levy said. “But it also helps with negotiations. If I’m competing with other companies [for sports rights], if they have digital properties and I don’t, I’d have to bid less.”