AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan on Mad Men and ushering in the Platinum Age of Television

From legendary hits like Breaking Bad and Mad Men to newer fare like Lodge 49, AMC Networks has been indispensable to what critics call the Platinum Age of Television. And indispensable to AMC is Josh Sapan, who has served as CEO of the network for over 20 years. Josh also oversees the IOC, The Sundance Channel, and BBC America, making him one of the busiest and most innovative men in the business.

We at Kindred Media are big fans of the content brought to life by Josh, so we were especially eager to chat with him about the TV industry. Here’s what we learned:

1. AMC Networks was originally focused on the preservation of classic films.

When Josh became the CEO of AMC in 1995, it was fittingly known as “American Movie Classics,” focused largely on preserving black and white films and showing them in their original form. This was before the On Demand era, and Josh recognizes the value of that work. “I wouldn’t knock the original proposition, which for its time, was actually rather novel, and somewhat a little bit revolutionary, because it was about film appreciation.”

The changing landscape of media, however, brought new business imperatives that drove innovation. Josh wanted to extend a bolder, broader media invitation to television audiences. “We really determined that the old proposition of commercial free classic movies would no longer sustain,” Josh said. “It was not differentiated adequately. In truth, not an unfamiliar pattern for cable channels, or even for streaming services today, for media. There’s always an evolution of nature.” The solution? Investing a large chunk of money in an “unlikely story.”

2. Three good friends advised Josh not to pursue the show that would redefine the network.

Once upon a time, there was a New York ad executive with a deep, dark secret. Now considered one of the most influential and intriguing TV characters of all time, the world met Don Draper on AMC on July 19, 2007. Over a decade into his tenure at CEO, Josh had faced a number of flops in the form of game shows. Mad Men was the hit that redefined the network.

But when Josh took the script to three trusted, close friends, they all advised him not to run the show. “They thought, in their minds they thought the script wasn’t any good, because it read very quiet,” Josh said. “It did read quiet I believe. The characters were remote, which they are on the screen a bit.” To those friends, the characters seemed caricaturist, or not very rich. In any case, Josh didn’t take their advice and Draper lives on in our cultural memory, along with Peggy Olson, Joan Holloway, and of course, Roger Sterling.

3. AMC’s future pursuits are rooted in diversification and transformation.

Josh wants AMC Networks to be in charge of its own destiny through diversification of assets. The network has taken on ownership of everything from games to intellectual property, something they hadn’t done before. And with the hiring of Jen Caserta, AMC’s Chief Transformation Officer, the company is ready to reinvent itself over and over again in pursuit of the future.

“If you’re used to running a certain playbook that was based on principles of old, the ability, and the willingness to change, and to do things very differently may not be apparent,” Josh said. “It’s good to have a person who can guide you to create all the muscles to do that.” In collaboration, Josh and Jen are constantly asking the big question: what’s next?

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To listen to our interview with Josh, check out Episode 32 of KindredCast, embedded below, and available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.