President’s Letter
Rural Media Group, Inc. (402) 289-2085 1 Valmont Plaza, 4th Floor, Omaha, NE 68154 Founder & President: Patrick Gottsch – patrick@rfdtv.com EVP - Corporate Communications: Raquel Gottsch – raquel@rfdtv.com EVP - Finance: Gatsby Gottsch – gatsby@rfdtv.com Chief Executive Officer: Edward Frazier – ed@rfdtv.com Chief Financial Officer: Steve Campione – steve@rfdtv.com Controller/Human Resources: Conie McCully - conie@rfdtv.com Business Manager: Kevin Cloonan – kevin@rfdtv.com SVP of Advertising Sales: Dave Randell - dave@rfdtv.com Ag Sales Director: Mike Hansen – mike@rfdtv.com Director of Sales, DRTV: Dan Kripke – dan@rfdtv.com VP of Sales, Midwest Region: Tim Moan – tim@rfdtv.com VP of Sales, North East Region: Paul Green - paul@rfdtv.com VP of Sales Southern Region: Janet Noll - janet@rfdtv.com In-House Sales: Mike Holland - mikeh@rfdtv.com Equine Sales Manager: Sanders Lawson - sandy@rfdtv.com Equine Sales Representative: Sally Stith-Burdette – sally@rfdtv.com Director of Special Projects: Mike Stodden - mikes@rfdtv.com Research Director: Barry Kriha - barryk@rfdtv.com Director of Digital Media Strategy: Laura Abel - laura@rfdtv.com Corporate Communications Director: Deb Hermann - deb@rfdtv.com Event Marketing Manager: Jessi McCarty - jessi@rfdtv.com Marketing Communications Coordinator: Kelli Reznicek - kelli@rfdtv.com Creative Services Manager: Matt Hancock - matt@rfdtv.com Graphic Designer: Nate Adkisson - nate@rfdtv.com Chief Technology Officer: Tim Kline - timk@rfdtv.com Lead Web Developer: Andrew Kerr – andrew@rfdtv.com Program Director: Mike Wallace – mikew@rfdtv.com Online Content and Production: Jess Purviance - jess@rfdtv.com Office Manager: Mica Karges- mica@rfdtv.com Accounting: Justin Bacon - justin@rfdtv.com RFD-TV The Magazine®, LLC (615) 227-9292 P.O. Box 78546, Nashville, TN 37207 Publisher: Patrick Gottsch - patrick@rfdtv.com Associate Publisher: Patty O’Bryan – patty@rfdtv.com Assistant Editor: Becky Hirsch – becky@rfdtv.com Circulation Manager: April Kantz – april@rfdtv.com Magazine Customer Service: Lisa Owens - lisao@rfdtv.com Magazine Customer Service: Wanda Edgar - wanda@rfdtv.com Graphic Designer: Dan Astuto - dana@rfdtv.com RFD-TV The Theatre, LLC (417) 332-2282 4080 West Hwy 76, Branson, MO 65616 Theatre Manager: Julie Christians - julie@rfdtv.com Operations Manager: Ray Christians - ray@rfdtv.com Director of Sales: Trey Pelz - trey@rfdtv.com Television Production: Jimmy Barnes - jimmy@rfdtv.com RFD-TV, LLC (615) 227-9292 3201 Dickerson Pike, Nashville, TN 37207 Vice President/General Manager: Kelly Kantz – kelly@rfdtv.com Executive Assistant/HR Manager: Lisa Marcy – lisa@rfdtv.com News Director: Mark Oppold – mark@rfdtv.com Video Editor: Kevin Shamblin – kevins@rfdtv.com Director/Producer: Allen Jette – allen@rfdtv.com Video Editor: John Paul Penrod - jp@rfdtv.com Equine Correspondent and Marketing: Lizzie Iwersen – lizzie@rfdtv.com Program Producer: Heather Spillman – heather@rfdtv.com Program Manager: Davis Costner – davis@rfdtv.com Assistant Program Manager: Adrienne Bush – adrienne@rfdtv.com Director of Commercial Operations: Barry Watts – barry@rfdtv.com Traffic Manager: Melissa Upchurch – melissa@rfdtv.com Senior Traffic Coordinator: Chris Gurchiek – chrisg@rfdtv.com Traffic Coordinator: Brandon Middleton - brandon@rfdtv.com VP of Affiliate Sales: Manda Patrick – manda@rfdtv.com Affiliate Sales Southeast Region: John Sorrells - john@rfdtv.com Affiliate Sales Western Region: Patt Bisant – patt@rfdtv.com Affiliate Sales Support: Natalie Pease - natalie@rfdtv.com RURAL TV VP/Program Director: Jeremiah Davis – jeremiah@rfdtv.com Executive Producer: Liz Motley - liz@rfdtv.com Technical Director/Writer-Producer : Terrance Middlebrooks – terrance@rfdtv.com Technical Director/Writer-Producer : Sarah Diden – sarahd@rfdtv.com News Anchor : Scot England – scot@rfdtv.com News Anchor: Amber Jenne - amber@rfdtv.com International Distribution: Sarah Chase – sarah@ruraltv.tv POSTMASTER - Send address changes: RFD-TV c/o RFD-TV The Magazine®, llc: PO BOX 78546, Nashville, TN 37207-8546 (Permit 022-544) RFD-TV is published bimonthly by RFD-TV The Magazine, llc. 22424 Wright Plaza, Elkhorn, NE 68022 for $30 initial fee. Periodicals postage is paid at Elkhorn, NE and additional mailing offices. Printing - Omaha Print Distribution - GP Business Services Copyright 2012 by RFD-TV The Magazine®, llc All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of RFD-TV The Magazine®, llc
Subscriptions Questions?
www.rfdtv.com or Call: 1-615-227-9292 or e-mail: april@rfdtv.com
DISH Network’s Charlie Ergen and Patrick Gottsch shortly after launching RFD-TV on DISH Network, in December 2000.
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or the past decade, the biggest challenge at RFDTV has been trying to satisfy four distinct audiences. We literally have been 5 different channels crammed into one network, with our agricultural, equine, rural lifestyle, traditional music entertainment, and auctions competing for time within the limits of a 24-hour broadcast day. In most cases, ag people are not horse people, and vice versa. No matter what we did, someone was always unhappy that there was not more programming on RFD-TV directed at their own particular interests. Now, all of that changes with the launch of RURAL TV. We will counter-program the two channels, and in most cases, not have two programs from the same genre on at the same time. For example, if there is an auction on one channel, there would be regular shows on the other. After years of hard work and proving the popularity of RFD-TV, we finally have a second 24/7 television channel that can take on some of the load, and actually expand programming for each genre. RURAL TV will also allow us to produce the programming that has been most requested by viewers over the past several years, but has not been possible to add due to time restraints on RFD-TV. Market Day Report and the RURAL EVENING NEWS are but two examples, along with “live” rural event coverage and international programming. There simply was not enough time to do such productions on RFD-TV. Once again, it is DISH Network that is stepping up and being the first to offer RURAL TV to their customers, just as they did with RFD-TV over 11 years ago. Of course, we want everyone that carries RFD-TV now to add RURAL TV to their channel lineup, and believe that every distributor eventually will do so. How quickly that happens primarily depends on you folks out there. If you like RFD-TV, you’re gonna love RURAL TV. Now is the time to contact your local cable or satellite company, and ask that they add RURAL TV. It makes such a difference.
Patrick Gottsch Founder & President JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2012
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