HBO & MTV
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HBO & MTV ⋆
Click here to learn more about Bill’s 33-year trailblazing career in media and business.
HBO (1970-1977)
Bill in his New York office surrounded by his National Accounts colleagues at HBO
Bill in his early years at HBO
George Bullock and Bill, selling HBO subscriptions on a local cable system.
Pioneers of Cable TV (from left) Tom Oliver, George Bullock (TCI Head of Marketing), Bill, and TCI's President J.C. Sparkman.
Century Tower Plaza newsletter announcing HBO's new office location
Bill with The Spinners, a motown group, 1985
The HBO team some years later
With Jack Hayes and Bill's boss at HBO, Stan Thomas in the early 1980's.
With Sumner Redstone at a New York dinner in the late 1990s.
TCI's JC Sparkman and Dolly Parton in the early 80's, celebrating an HBO launch.
At a Viacom event in the early 90's (from left) all ex HBO'ers - Bill, Tony Cox, Frank Biondi, Ed Horowitz, Matt Blank and Henry Schliff.
MTV (1989-2011)
Early MTV (1989-1994)
Border guards with Bill's MTV umbrella at the fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989
Vilnius, Lithuania, 1990. The city was still occupied by elite Black Beret Russian troops. Inside the barricaded office of Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis, he and Bill discussed bringing MTV to Lithuania—the first nation to break from the Soviet Union, taking an irrevocable step toward democracy.
The original MTV Europe team in an autographed group portrait by renowned photographer Terry O’Neill. Some of them became household names across the continent. Pip Dann, Maiken Wexo, Brent Hansen, Brian Diamond, Steve Blame, Frank Brown, Paul King, Ray Cokes.
MTV trade ad from 1990
Bill and Marc Conneely on the iconic light pole in Bucharest, 1994
Bill at an event with his Asian team in Singapore in the mid 1990s.
Celebrating at an MTV sales conference. From the laughter it could have been anywhere. The details were lost sometime late in the evening.
In Beirut, Lebanon with (from left) MTV's Christine Gorham, our partner Osama, me, the Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, Rebecca De Ruvo, Marc Conneely and another government aide.
Lebanon, early 1990s
MTV holiday party in the early 1990s
At Gracie Mansion for a VMA reception with key MTV partners and execs
MTV execs at the Barcelona olympics
John Mellencamp and the Viacom execs - Bill, John Sykes, Philippe Dauman, Tom Dooley, and Judy McGrath
with Georgia Arnold, head of MTV Staying Alive
with MTV Asia staff
with Brian Diamond (MTV Talent and Relations) and Chris Noth (Sex and the City) at the 1993 Zooropa U2 show
with MTV VJ's Davina McCall, Simone Angel, Camila Raznovich; MTV exec Christine Gorham
Bill and Tom Freston at the Reykjavik House, where the Reykjavík Summit meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev took place
MTV Europe strategy meeting at the Reykjavik House
The MTV Europe house band, "Take This, F*** That"
Bill with Peter Einstein and Marc Conneely in Moscow
A playful note from Tom Freston: "She's taller than you!"
Bill and Tom Freston in London, early 1990's
Photoshopped by Rob Dickins, Warner Music Chairman
Behind the scenes with Maiken Wexø, Ray Cokes, Marcel Vanthilt, and Kristiane Backer all key figures in MTV’s European programming.
At an MTV Europe Christmas Party with Ray Cokes (c) circa 1992.
Magyar TV "MTV" building in Budapest, 1991
The "MTV" sign is now off… 30 years later
With Aerosmith at the first-ever MTV Europe Music Awards in Berlin, 1994.
With Brian Diamond, head of Talent and Relations
MTV Staff with the Dutch pop duo Loïs Lane, one of the many artists MTV Europe helped amplify during the ‘90s. They instantly entered heavy rotation after I mentioned that I liked them once in a music video curation meeting… I stopped attending to make sure our selection reflected teenage tastes, not those of a 40-something CEO!
At the original office on Mandela Street in Camden, London
We grew MTV across the continent using an aggressive, creative, and relentless distribution strategy inspired by Bill's military background and love for geopolitics.
Renewing MTV's seven-year contract with Société Européenne des Satellites (SES), who developed the groundbreaking satellite Astra 1, making television widely accessible across Europe and helped connect millions, even behind the Iron Curtain.
Launching MTV in Israel, 1991
MTV Europe's relocation to the Breakfast Television Centre building on Regent’s Canal. Bill purchased the building—complete with three fully equipped studios and all the broadcasting equipment—for only $3.2 million.
Recording broadcasts onsite in the “engine room” meant musicians were constantly wandering the halls. Working there was like being at the epicenter of the entire music world.
A bold ad positioning MTV as "fresher" than the BBC.
MTV strategy meeting in Sicily, 1990
It was a full-circle moment in Russia with Coca-Cola, one of our very first advertisers. In the early days, we had run their high-quality ads for free, using them to help attract other brands as we grew.
Peak MTV (1995-2010)
Original Launch team for MTV Latin America headquartered on Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Oct. 1996
MTV Latin America, Miami Beach, 1996
Bill with Antoinette Zel (CEO) and Tom Freston (Chairman) of MTVN Latin America at the Latin America VMA's, 1990s
Juanes and Paulina Rubio, MTV Latin America, Miami 1996
Bill and Tom with Paulina Rubio at the Latin America VMA's
The execs of MTVNLA with Carlos Santana at the Latin America VMA's
Tom Freston, Michelle X, Carlos Santana, MTV LATAM CEO Antoinette Zel, and Bill
The MTVNLA Execs with Johnny Knoxville
MTV Latin America headquartered on Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Oct. 1996
Mexico, 2004 - Sumner Redstone, Carl Folta, Antoinette Zel, Bill, and Paula Fortunato
at the MTV Asia Awards in Singapore, 2002
A playful note from Tom Freston: "She's taller than you!"
Bill with Enya, Rob Dickins, and Tom Freston in the late 1990's
MTV trade ad from 1997
Sony congratulates MTV Europe on 15 years of success, Billboard magazine, Sept. 13 1997
A Wallstreet Journal ad for a CNBC Profile on Bill that aired in 2002. Click to watch!
This 'business card' actually is an MTV trade ad, created by MTV Networks for the the UN Global Citizen of the Year Award.
Sony congratulates Bill on his achievements
Bill on the cover of BusinessWeek in 2002 with Jolin Tsai and TaTu
Bill with Paul McCartney
Bill with wife Alex, children - Noa, Liam, Rocky and Tiger and friend, Wyclef Jean.
Backstage with (from left) Bono and Bob Geldof at the Japan Music Awards in 2008
With the Black Eyed Peas and South African singer Lebo Mathosa (who later tragically died in an auto accident), at the EMAs in Lisbon in 2005.
On the red carpet with the Sugarbabes at the 2006 EMA's in Copenhagen.
With the band Lordi, which won the Eurovision Song Contest, on the red carpet at the EMA's in Copenhagen.
On a Beijing stage speaking to MTV Networks' Nickelodeon staff planning the launch of Nick in China in 2005.
Bill and Sumner Redstone in Japan
China Music Online and China Mobile deal with MTV, circa 2006
MTV staff party celebrating the China mobile deal
At the 2009 Mandarin Music Honors being interviewed by MTV VJ's.
![[Then] British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, fielding difficult questions from a worldwide MTV audience and Sir Bob Geldof, 2005](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64482d6c32c5f60e577356b8/b42170a7-650d-4336-8926-d30822cf71e6/140804286747a1da27b3127cce9854897aeafb00000015100abn3llo5ys2ea-1.jpg)
[Then] British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, fielding difficult questions from a worldwide MTV audience and Sir Bob Geldof, 2005
In Copenhagen congratulating Rhianna in 2006.
With the MTV team in Beijing in 2006.
With actress/rocker Juliette Lewis on the red carpet at the MTV Australia Awards in 2008.
Backstage with Snoop at the 2007 EMA's in Munich.
With P Diddy at the EMA's in Copenhagen.
With Daniel Craig, EMA Awards, Copenhagen 2006.
Bill with the Foo Fighters at the VMAs
Bill and Katy Perry
Bill & Lil Kim at the VMAs
Bill with Justin Timberlake
Bill visits MTV Japan, 2009.
Bill and Bon Jovi at the EMA's in Madrid, November 2010
