Mark Thompson vs Jim Bankoff

Mark Thompson

CEO of The New York Times

BIO: Mr. Mark Thompson has been the Chief Executive Officer and President of The New York Times Company since November 12, 2012. Mr. Thompson served as the Non-Executive Chairman at BBC Worldwide Limited since March 12, 2012 and serves as its Director General since 2004. He served as a Director-General of British Broadcasting Corp. from June 2004 to July 01,2012 and served as its Member of Executive Board. He served as a Director-General at BBC Trust until March 2012. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Channel 4 of British Broadcasting Corporation from 2002 to 2004. At the BBC, he developed innovative new products and generated new revenue streams on multiple platforms. He has led the BBC's multimedia coverage of the London Olympic Games, coverage which has won near universal acclaim at home and around the world. He is responsible for the BBC's services across television, radio and online including 10 national TV channels and 10 national radio stations, 40 local radio stations and an extensive global Web site. He joined the BBC in 1979 as a production trainee. Mr. Thompson helped launch Watchdog and Breakfast Time, was an output editor on Newsnight and was appointed Editor of the Nine O'Clock News in 1988 and of Panorama in 1990. He went to be Controller (programming and scheduling chief) for the TV network BBC2. His former BBC positions include, Director of Television; Director of National & Regional Broadcasting; Controller BBC Two; Head of Factual and Head of Features. He oversaw the successful launch jointly with ITV of Freesat, as well as the BBC's involvement in YouView, a joint venture with ITV, Channel 4, Arqiva, TalkTalk and Five, offering subscription-free digital TV and the UK's leading video on-demand services. Mr. Thompson served as a Director of Television of British Broadcasting Corp. from April 2000 to December 2001. He served as the Chairman and Executive Director of British Broadcasting Corp. until July 2012. He has been a Director of The New York Times Company since November 2012. He served as a Director of BBC Worldwide Ltd., from March 2012 to September 17, 2012. He served as a Director of Channel Four Television Corp. until June 9, 2004. Mr. Thompson was educated at Merton College at Oxford University.

Jim Bankoff

CEO of Vox Media, Inc.

BIO: Jim Bankoff (@bankoff) is the Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Vox Media, the leading independent modern media company. Bankoff oversees all aspects of the company, which includes storytelling that spans 13 influential editorial networks, a studios division that produces television series, streaming video, podcasts, and film; premium advertising solutions; a print magazine; and innovative publishing technology that enables media businesses across the industry. In 2019, Bankoff led Vox Media’s merger with New York Media, the publisher of the iconic 50+ year-old New York Magazine, as well as the company’s acquisition of the Academy Award-winning Epic nonfiction storytelling studio and the Coral platform dedicated to building safer online communities. Under Bankoff, Vox Media has been named one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies in Media,” an Inc. “Company of the Year,” Digiday’s “Best Company for Parents,” and one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign.