Executives

Page Thompson, President

As president of television’s only 24-hour network devoted to the sport of golf, Page H. Thompson is responsible for overseeing all GOLF CHANNEL interests, including programming, production and operations, consumer and affiliate marketing, promotional strategies, home video and merchandising, as well as new media applications. He also is responsible for managing a sponsorship sales team that has achieved double-digit revenue increases for the network each year since launch.

At the heart of Thompson’s duties is to be the caretaker of the GOLF CHANNEL’s continued mission of providing meaningful and relevant programming to all of its viewers, which includes leveraging the network’s one-of-a-kind, 15-year deal with the PGA TOUR to bring fans unique content.

Prior to joining the GOLF CHANNEL, Thompson was senior vice president and general manager of video services for Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. At Comcast, Thompson was responsible for the company’s video product for their 24.2 million cable customers and is credited with building Comcast’s industry leading video-on-demand service from conception to a platform that boasted more than 9,000 programs each month and more than 4 billion views from 2004 until the time of his departure. While at Comcast, he co-chaired the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing’s On Demand Consortium.

Before Comcast, Thompson worked in several marketing positions with both General Cinema Theatres, where he ran all marketing and communications, and served as general manager of all the non-film, revenue-generating business for the company; and for the Pepsi-Cola Company, where he served in a variety of brand management positions. He also worked in account management for New York advertising agency Benton & Bowles.

Thompson earned a bachelors degree from Princeton University and a graduate degree from Harvard Business School. He is married with two children, and is a lifelong golfer.

Gene Pizzolato, Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer, COO, New Media Ventures

Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer, COO, New Media Ventures Serving a diverse role, Gene Pizzolato is integral to various GOLF CHANNEL interests. As chief revenue and marketing officer, he manages the network’s portfolio of revenue-generating businesses and supervises new growth opportunities, as well as overseeing all network marketing, promotion and public relations. As chief operating officer for New Media Ventures, he directs his focus on growing the company’s digital platform, developing of a suite of services that puts the network in the middle of how golfers participate in the game and provides them a variety of means to actively pursue game improvement. He also manages several key sales areas, including new media sales, travel sponsorships and events. Previously, Pizzolato was executive vice president, sales, marketing & business development, responsible for all sponsorship areas across all GOLF CHANNEL revenue lines, including endemic and non-endemic advertisers, online and new media and grassroots efforts. In this role, he was instrumental in the double-digit growth of GOLF CHANNEL through a strategic focus on brand partnerships involving the network’s programming and production areas. As one of the first employees hired by GOLF CHANNEL in 1994, Pizzolato played a critical role in the launch of the network and led its repositioning efforts from a pay service to basic cable. He left his position of senior vice president of sales and marketing in 1996 to lead business development for NBC's division of owned-and-operated networks. As a senior vice president of sales and marketing, he focused on the Olympics and other sports programming. He returned to the GOLF CHANNEL in 2002 as senior vice president, non-endemic sponsorships. Originally from Old Greenwich, Conn., Pizzolato earned a bachelor's degree in 1981 from the State University of New York, Oswego. He is married with two children.

Tom Stathakes, Senior Vice President of Programming, Production and Operations

Tom Stathakes brings the GOLF CHANNEL more than 24 years of leadership in sports television, with an outstanding record of delivering high-quality sports news programming around the country. Prior to joining the network in 2008, he served as senior vice president of programming and senior executive producer of news for Comcast SportsNet’s 10 networks. In this role, he developed Comcast SportsNet’s original programming operation. At the time of his departure, Comcast SportsNet’s networks reached 40 million homes, televise 2,400 live events, have rights relationships with 18 professional teams, and had a presence in seven of the top 10 U.S. television markets. He joined Comcast SportsNet in May 1997 to help launch its first regional, 24/7 sports network in Philadelphia by assembling the network’s news team and hiring production and on-air talent. He began his career in 1983 at KYW-TV, Philadelphia’s CBS affiliate, and, in 1995, founded and ran Sports Star Productions, an independent programming and production company serving the NFL. A graduate of Rowan University in New Jersey with a B.A. in Radio, Television & Film, Stathakes lives in the Orlando area with this wife, Susan, and their daughter.

Earl Marshall, Senior Vice President, Finance, Strategy and Business Development

Earl Marshall joined GOLF CHANNEL in 2009 as the Senior Vice President, Finance, Strategy and Business Development. In the position, he is responsible for overseeing finance, accounting and new business development, as well as developing and executing strategy for both the linear channel and new media area. Prior to joining the network, Marshall spent over eight years in Comcast’s Corporate Development department primarily overseeing merger and acquisition activities for Comcast’s Cable Division. Before joining Comcast in 1998, Marshall worked at PricewaterhouseCooper as a consultant in the valuation services group. A CFA who earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from St. Joseph’s University, he later earned his master’s degree in business from Rutgers University. He resides in Orlando, Fla. with his wife and two daughters.

Shannon O’Neill, Senior Vice President and GM, New Media Group

As general manager, New Media Group, O’Neill’s responsibilities include the day-to-day management of all new media operations including product, content, marketing, strategy & technology. O’Neill joined the GOLF CHANNEL in 2007 after working for Comcast as the vice president of the Emerging Networks Group, where he was responsible for developing and launching new cable networks.  A key member of the team that created FEARnet video on demand, he also worked closely with Comcast’s online network, and developed the mobile strategy for the brand.  Before joining Comcast, O’Neill co-founded a startup venture that developed a proprietary system for capturing, filtering, and tagging financial information on the Web.  O’Neill also worked for Ernst & Young, and is a graduate of the University of Delaware. 

Christopher Murvin, Senior Vice President, Business Affairs

As Senior Vice President, Business Affairs, Murvin is responsible for negotiating television and new media rights agreements with the GOLF CHANNEL’s various golf organization partners, including the PGA TOUR, the LPGA, the USGA, the PGA of America, Augusta National and the European Tour, as well as other significant contracts that impact GOLF CHANNEL business. He also is responsible for protecting the GOLF CHANNEL’s trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property, and overseeing the network’s licensing and use of intellectual property from third parties. In addition, Murvin oversees the network’s Human Resources Department and the implementation of the GOLF CHANNEL’s employment practices and procedures. Murvin rejoined the GOLF CHANNEL in January 2006, after having served in a similar capacity with the network since its inception in 1991 through 2000. Murvin is a graduate of Auburn University and Cumberland School of Law.

Jeff Foster, Senior Vice President of New Media Sales

As senior vice president of new media sales, Foster is responsible for driving revenue across all silo's in the new media space. He manages the Network's new tee time business, GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour operations, digital sales and an emerging travel business. Foster joined GOLF CHANNEL in 1997 and previously held the titles of national sales manager and vice president of digital sales, travel and events. A native of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., he earned a bachelor's degree in advertising from Augusta University. Foster, his wife and three children live in College Park, Fla.

Linda Wingate, Senior Human Resources Director

Linda Wingate joined the GOLF CHANNEL in 2008 with more than fifteen years of experience in human resources management and administration, plus five years of additional experience in the public sector. Prior to joining the Golf Channel team, Linda was Area Director of Human Resources for Comcast Greater Baltimore. Before coming to Comcast in 2002, Linda served as Regional Human Resources Manager for United Technologies / Otis Elevator Company. Earlier on in her career, she worked in human resources for Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto, California, and also served for five years as a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Linda holds a B.A. degree from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, an M.B.A degree from Georgetown University, and a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the Society of Human Resources Management. Linda’s professional affiliations include the National Black M.B.A. Association and the Society for Human Resource Management. Originally from New York City, Linda also lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for an extended period. She enjoys film, cooking, reading and traveling.