Yesterday and Today: Last Year's Next Wave Women

Sharri Berg,
vice president of news operations at the Fox News Channel, is still the general behind Fox News' growing newsroom and field operations. As post-9/11 coverage fuels the news network's growth, Berg and her staff endeavor to support the growing outfit. "There are so many more pieces to the story, so many more locations and so many more technological issues," she says. "For six years, we were the underdog, and small victories were monumental. Now we're looking to stay on top."—Allison Romano

A year ago, Pat Falese's
big test was whether she could help persuade Cablevision Systems subscribers to buy advanced digital cable services more deeply than any other operator. But snags at Cablevision have slowed deployment. Still, the company started offering digital services to 750,000 subscribers in October and should hit 3.3 million homes by December.—John M. Higgins

Susan Fox
remains vice president of government relations for the Walt Disney Co. in Washington, D.C. Under Preston Padden, Fox continues to lobby the FCC and Congress, focusing mainly on copyright protection, which is a major issue for Disney. Bills dealing with copyright protection have been written in both the House and the Senate, although they will have to start the committee process over again when Congress reconvenes next year. The FCC also is working on rules that would implement copyright protection for digital television.—Paige Albiniak

Wendi Goldstein
still sits atop CBS's comedy heap as senior vice president of comedy development, a job she was awarded in June 2000. Her latest achievement is the development of Monday-night comedy Still Standing, starring Jami Gertz and Mark Addy, the highest-rated new comedy of the 2002-03 television season in households, viewers and adults 25-54.—P.A.

Yvette Gordon-Kanouff
was promoted to corporate vice president of strategic planning for SeaChange International. She kept her high profile in the industry this year as the SCTE elected her to a two-year term on its board of directors, and she continues to speak widely around the world on interactive TV.—George Winslow

Angie Kucharski
is still news director at KCNC-TV Denver, whose news department won the RTNDA's prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award for overall excellence in a large market. KCNC-TV drew national attention in February when it uncovered security lapses at Denver's airport.—Dan Trigoboff

For Val Maki,
senior vice president and market manager for Emmis Los Angeles, who over sees KZLA-FM and KPWR-FM, the biggest change was the birth of a baby boy, now 81/2 months old. KPWR-FM is No. 1 in the Los Angeles Arbitron ratings for listeners over 12 as a hip-hop station, and KZLA is the most-listened-to country station.—G.W.

Vicki Regan,
vice president and general manager for WPBF(TV) West Palm Beach, Fla., would have been a serious and instant contender to run Hearst-Argyle's WTAE-TV Pittsburgh, where she'd worked before, informed sources say. But she wanted to continue her work at WPBF, whose community-outreach program, "Taking the Lead," earned a national award from the NAB's Education Foundation.—D.T.

Diane Robina,
executive vice president and general manager of The New TNN, relaunched as The National Network, is finally seeing the fruits of her labor. The net recently shed the last of its old Nashville Network programming, such as golf and car racing. Now big-ticket acquired shows CSI
and Star Trek
headline the schedule. With TNN repositioned as a general-entertainment net for younger viewers, Robina is also freed up to experiment with more original programming. Her next move will be to launch an adult animation block, likely on Tuesday nights, in second quarter 2003. She says the four new animated shows "will be edgier and have major star appeal." As she admits, "it could be a tremendous risk or opportunity."—A.R.

Nina Tassler
continues as senior vice president of drama-series development at CBS. She added this season's No. 1 new show, CSI: Miami, to her spate of hits, which include Judging Amy, The Guardian
and CSI. Tassler also headed up development of Without a Trace,
the season's second-most-watched new drama; Presidio Med; and Robbery Homicide Division.—P.A.

Terry Wood
last month was promoted to executive vice president of programming at Paramount Domestic Television. She oversaw development of Dr. Phil, the highest-rated syndication launch since The Oprah Winfrey Show
in 1986. She also oversees top-rated Paramount shows Entertainment Tonight
and ET Weekend.—P.A.