Kay Koplovitz

In her two-hour interview, Kay Koplovitz talks about her interests at a very early age in the concept of satellite and cable technology. She discusses her work as director of community services for UA Columbia Cablevision in Oakland, NJ in the mid-1970s. She details her securing an account with HBO, where she oversaw the 1975 "Thrilla in Manila" boxing match of Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier, which she says changed the course of television history. She describes her work as head of Madison Square Garden Sports Network (which became USA Network) and the deal she struck with George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees, which led to an overall deal with Major League Baseball. She then speaks in great detail about her work as president and chief executive officer (the first woman in television history to hold that title) of the USA Network and the Sci-Fi Channel. She also discusses such later ventures as the Broadway Television Network. Jane Altschuler conducted the interview in a joint venture with New York Women in Film & Television on May 3, 2006 in New York, NY.