On a recent Saturday night, the Hallmark Channel premiered Claire, in which Valerie Bertinelli played a widowed mother with the mysterious ability to see the future and an uncanny knack for criticizing smokers.
Back at his office, Mr. Schleiff said that the antismoking script for Claire was coincidental. But his courtship of Mr. Markey (whom he refers to as a “dear friend of myself personally”) is anything but.
“We spend a fair amount of time on the Hill and with legislators, so I think quite honestly in the negotiations—not that a cable operator is going to turn around and pay you more or less because you happen to be friends with congressional regulators—but these people have deals and requests for favors and grants and waivers all over the place in Washington,” said Mr. Schleiff. “It’s a very small town.”
“We’re saying that we’re a good partner … and we are delivering a network that is important to your customers and important to Washington,” said Mr. Schleiff. “We would like the favor returned and expressed financially. That’s it in a nutshell.” In other words, Mr. Schleiff has proven willing to step up on behalf of cable operators in their time of need, and he would like them to return the favor.
CAN MR. SCHLEIFF PULL IT OFF? Dick Parsons, the CEO of Time Warner, said that Mr. Schleiff had good access in Washington, but was unsure if he had any clout. Mr. Parsons went on to describe Mr. Schleiff as a talented leader, with boundless energy, unflappable optimism, a deep understanding of television audiences and knack for negotiating deals, belying his original professional training as a lawyer.
“People who work with him love him,” said Mr. Parsons. “In part, because he has real humanity. Henry, at the end of the day, is just like one of the guys.”
To wit: Mr. Parsons recalled a party that Mr. Schleiff threw on behalf of Court TV, years ago, that included a couple of cages with go-go dancers. “Don’t you know it, halfway through the party, you turn around, and who’s up there in the cage pretending to be spanked or something, but Henry,” said Mr. Parsons. “You have to love the guy.”
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