John P. Roberts
Senior Vice President, Interactive & Digital Media, GSN
The visionary behind the launch of GSN’s groundbreaking interactive television services, John P. Roberts, GSN’s Senior Vice President, Interactive and Digital Media is recognized throughout the industry as an iTV pioneer.
Roberts is credited with positioning GSN as the leader in the new era of high-speed, broadband entertainment, and has been instrumental in fostering industry-wide acceptance of new interactive technology applications.
Roberts has overseen the creation and deployment of all GSN’s innovative iTV programming for its audience. With over one hundred hours of iTV shows a week, GSN has successfully engaged viewers in the real time play-along experience, and has built a database of over two and a half million registered game players, 87% of which fall within the Adults 18 to 49 demographic.
In April 2004, Roberts and his team successfully launched one-screen interactivity on Oceanic Time Warner Cable, an unprecedented event and an industry first. Working closely with the interactive units at MSO’s across the country, Roberts devises iTV models which cable and satellite distributors can execute to expand innovative interactive services for their customers, driving consumer demand through a full complement of GSN interactive play applications.
Roberts is also in charge of GSN’s website, GSN.com, which offers other content for game enthusiasts. Augmenting its real-time play along capabilities, Roberts and his interactive team have also developed several stand-alone and multi-player website games for fans who want to play GSN’s games 24/7.
Prior to joining GSN in June 2001, Roberts held the post of Senior Vice President of Internet and iTV Development at Vulcan Programming II, a division of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen’s Vulcan Ventures. In this position, Roberts was responsible for the development, supervision and implementation of interactive and convergent strategies for Vulcan’s digital cable networks and other internet-based programming concepts.
Roberts has also served as Vice President of New Media for Fox Family Worldwide, where he oversaw all aspects of internet development for the network’s websites; worked in business development at Universal Studios New Media Group; created the corporate online department at Fox Broadcasting Company; and was part of the marketing team that launched the cable channel FX.
A frequently quoted expert on new media, Roberts has been a guest speaker at American Television Academy, NATPE, NCTA and Digital Hollywood conferences. He has also served as a judge for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) first-ever interactive Emmy Award. A native New Yorker, Roberts earned a BA degree in TV and Film Production from State University of New York, Fredonia.
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- Todd DeMann, Founder and CEO
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read more > - Bruce Knight, COO
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- John P. Roberts, Senior Vice President, Interactive & Digital Media, GSN
- The visionary behind the launch of GSN’s groundbreaking interactive television services, John P. Roberts, GSN’s Senior Vice President, Interactive and Digital Media is recognized throughout the industry as an iTV pioneer. read more >
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