Brian Bedol

Brian Bedol is an American television executive, entrepreneur, and founder of the sports television channels Classic Sports Network and College Sports Television. Bedol owned CSN from 1995 to 1997 and CSTV from 2003 to 2006.

Bedol has since sold off both channels, to ESPN and CBS respectively, who have renamed the channels ESPN Classic and CBS Sports Network. He served as President and CEO of both companies. He left CSTV Networks in January, 2008. In 2009 he announced the formation of Bedrock Venture Partners to invest in early-stage media and technology businesses. In addition, in August 2010, Major League Soccer announced it had hired Bedol as a consultant to help the league determine what to do with its media rights. In 2012, he founded Bedrocket in partnership with Huffington Post co-founder Ken Lerer. Bedol currently serves as the company's President and CEO.

Brian Bedol is a "maverick entrepreneur in an increasingly mature industry dominated by conglomerates.", according to Mediaweek Magazine. He began his career as an advertising writer in Chicago writing McDonald's commercials, but soon after moved to New York as an on-air promotion producer for the not-yet-launched MTV. After returning to Harvard Business School he continued to work with MTV's parent company, Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, and during the summer of 1984 was part of a small team that developed the business concept for Nickelodeon's evening programming block, Nick-at-Nite. After receiving his MBA from Harvard University, Bedol joined MTV founder Bob Pittman, as a partner overseeing television and home video at Quantum Media Ventures, where he created and executive-produced the ground-breaking and controversial Morton Downey, Jr. show. He was also the creator and executive producer of the Fox Network's first reality show, Totally Hidden Video. His other television credits include creator and co-executive producer of the television game show Pictionary, hosted by Brian Robbins and creator of the 1990 Fox comedy show Haywire. He also executive produced the home video of Hagler vs. Leonard: The Superfight, the top-selling sports home video of the year.

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