TiVo Inc. on Monday said it named media veteran Tom Rogers as its chief executive, effective July 1, succeeding Michael Ramsay, who had previously announced his plan to step down as CEO of the television recording technology company.
Ugh. See my report from earlier this year on Tom Rogers’ dismal track record. I don’t think TiVo could possibly have picked someone less competent to lead them through a hostile competitive landscape.
Ed Bott 
I wonder if your critism of Rogers has anything to do with the lawsuit that you filed against Primedia when He bought About.com? I’m sure that you had stock options at the time. How much do you think that they would be worth today, if Rogers hadn’t overpaid for them? Probably nothing, because the internet implosion destroyed everybody.
The point isn’t that he overpaid for his deals, the point is that he has the power to get a deal done, something Ramsey clearly did not. After securing a Comcast deal, (even at terms you find unacceptable, though the terms of the deal have never been made public) how could Rogers be any worse then their current CEO?
Seth, you’re confusing cause and effect. I’m not an active participant in the lawsuit against About, and at any rate Rogers was the sucker in that deal. He got ripped off worse than anyone. I had a chance to see him up close and personal when I attended an About.com event. I was unimpressed then and I am unimpressed now.
Oh, and those About.com stock options were worth exactly nothing before Rogers came along, and less afterwards.
Ed,
I’m confused. According to this link your name is listed as a plantiff. Is this another Ed Bott or is your point that the litigation is no longer outstanding?
[Edited to make link clickable. – EB]
My point isn’t that Rogers is a good or bad CEO. I certainly don’t think he could be worse then Ramsey, so maybe the title, the second worst CEO would have been more appropriate. My point is that there is a fundamental conflict of interest that is not disclosed to the general public in your articles. While you’ve disclosed these relationships in past blog entries, it seems that all of your stories that get linked seem to leave out the fact that you and Rogers disagreed with the direction of about.com. While I don’t think there is anything wrong with drawing on these experiences and publically reflecting on them, I do think that it’s irresponsible to write a hatchet job on the guy and never mention that you have an axe to grind.
I read the title in my Newsreader and was sure TiVo had selected Carly Fiorino as CEO…
My name is listed as a plaintiff in a lawsuit against About.com, along with many others who were employed by About. The people pressing the suit are trying to have it certified as a class action. I have not actively participated in that suit since itg was filed, and I have not withheld any material facts in my posts here.
The suit is against the founders of About.com and Primedia. Tom Rogers is neither a plaintiff nor a party to the suit, as you would know if you read the link you posted. My “hatchet job” was simply to quote from public articles and press releases documenting his miserable record. I had a chance to see his work up close and personal at About.com, but I don’t have a conflict of interest.
I’m curious. What’s your interest? Why are you so insistent on this issue? Do you own Primedia stock?