Remote Control

The media industry -- and television in particular -- has grown vastly more complex in recent years. TV channels continue to multiply, networks have expanded their Web programming, and recent labor unrest has further complicated the picture.

TVGuide.com, the division of Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. that provides online television listing and content, has sharpened its visibility into current and future media and business trends and opportunities thanks to a major programming switch, from highly manual to increasingly automated financial-analytical capabilities. The finance team responsible for this transformation has enjoyed a ratings improvement of its own by devoting less time to number-crunching and more time to supporting business partners in strategic decision-making activities.

"We are able to analyze a lot of data quickly, so I spend more of my time playing the business partner role as opposed to playing the data-gathering role or the traffic cop role," says TVGuide.com Vice President, Finance and Research, Jonathan Kahan. "It's a lot more value-added and a lot more fun."

TVGuide.com watched the primary currency of its business -- unique users -- increase year-over-year by nearly 50 percent in Q3 2007. Advertising revenue for the same quarter increased 84 percent over the previous year. The performance is inspiring, yet Kahan is equally impressed by how quickly he can access the figures. "Now, when someone gives me a call and says, 'I need a number,' it's a five-second exercise," he says. "It's no longer a two-hour exercise."