Cablefax honored FETV's Jaclyn Rann Cohen with a spot on its 2022 list of Most Powerful Women.
Cohen is the executive vice president of content acquisitions and strategy at the South Bend-based media company.
“I am grateful to Cablefax for this exciting recognition,” said Cohen in a press release. “I feel very lucky to do work that I love with the amazing team at FETV and FMC.”
Adam Sumrall, executive vice president of the Family Broadcasting Corp., tasked Cohen with expanding FETV's audience when she was hired in 2021. Since then, she has overhauled the programming schedule for the satellite and cable network, which features classic and inspirational shows.
“We couldn't be prouder of Jaci for this terrific accomplishment,” Sumrall said. “Jaci has been instrumental in strategizing and acquiring programming for FETV and FMC, which has propelled the networks to record audience levels.”
Cohen's work has helped increase FETV's distribution rate by 20%, according to Cablefax, an industry resource for media and broadband executives with corporate offices in Rockville, Maryland, and New York.
In the third quarter of 2022, FETV viewership was up year-over-year 37% with households and 120% with adults ages 25 to 54, according to Nielsen C3 ratings.
The record-breaking ratings come on the heels of a deal with the nation's largest cable provider, adding 11 million households with access to the station. Programming includes “Perry Mason,” “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and the “Gunsmoke” movie collection.
Cohen is a 20-year veteran of Viacom, and most recently, the executive vice president of content strategy and acquisitions at TV Land. She is based in FETV's New York office.
“From the day I walked into Nickelodeon when I was 23 years old, I learned from women who were breaking down barriers and leading business that literally changed our collective culture,” Cohen said in her Cablefax profile.
But, she said, the most influential woman in her life is her daughter, Charlotte.
“I have never met a more fierce, focused and smart woman, and she inspires me every single day,” Cohen said.
Family Entertainment Television was launched in 2013 with a 24-hour schedule of not-forgotten television series and movies. Family Movie Classics was launched in 2021 with a 24-hour platform of movies from the 1930s to the 1980s. Family Broadcasting Corp., which got its start in 1957, owns both channels.
