Attention, Attention: How One Executive Catches and Keeps It

In an era in which attention spans are famously short, options are endless, and shifts in entertainment paradigms occur seemingly every day, it takes skill to direct a business’ lasting success. How does a corporation in the entertainment industry keep its audience not just in the flashy moment or gimmick, but the long term? How do we cater to people used to digesting tiny bit after tiny bit, hyperlink after hyperlink, and somehow sustain their loyalty? To explore this question, today we profile a high-performing executive who watched the industry change and rose to meet the rising tide.

When Jed Drake graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Broadcasting and Film, he entered his industry as a sports anchor with an NBC affiliate in Plattsburgh, New York.  This gave him a strong foundation in audience interaction, the value of strong coverage, and the nature of industry. In 1981, then-nascent ESPN offered the young professional a position as Producer, and he went on to demonstrate his talents in architecting innovative, engaging content. Over the years, Jed has been responsible for a number of acclaimed initiatives, among them the artful re-construction of baseball coverage with various forms of commentary, the implementation of numerous subsidiary channels, and the launch of ESPN High Definition. While Drake has drafted creative change across many aspects of the network, the initiatives bear a united goal in that they realize and meet the wants of the modern sports fan. He presently serves as Senior Vice President and Executive Producer for Event Production.