Vinnie Longobardo

Vinnie Longobardo is a 37 year veteran of the TV, mobile & new media industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business.

Growing up in the Bronx, Vinnie attended parochial schools, including Cardinal Spellman HS where he was classmates with future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

He started studies at Cornell University where he made the dean’s list, and then after 3 semesters transferred to SUNY Binghamton where he earned a B.A. in English Lit and became involved as a DJ with the college radio station, WHRW-FM. Before he graduated he served as both Jazz Director and Program Director of the student-run station.

After graduation, he moved back to NY and had brief stints as a Service Manager at the retail electronics chain, Crazy Eddie’s, and as a paralegal at the Park Ave law firm Paul Weiss Rifkin Wharton and Garrison. He attended graduate courses in TV and Communications at NY Institute of Technology and co-founded a mobile DJ company, Punk & Funk. Eventually, he landed jobs running the video systems at NYC music clubs including The Peppermint Lounge and Danceteria.

He started his career at MTV in 1981, producing documentaries, specials, and live events. In 1990, he began his international career & was instrumental in launching MTV in Latin America & Asia, including India, China, Japan, and
Southeast Asia. By 1997, he was back in NY as MTV’s SVP, International Program Development, working on pilots and creating new programming.

In 1999, Vinnie became CEO of Talking Drum, a wireless startup that created the 1st US mobile service marketed directly to youth.

He joined the launch team at Comcast’s G4TV in 2001, building the new network from the ground up. He also oversaw the merger & integration of TechTV when Comcast acquired that channel in 2004.

After leaving G4, Vinnie served as GM of Mobilactive Media, a ground-breaking mobile marketing agency. He also created Vinnie Longobardo Productions to develop new programming concepts & provide consulting services in
programming, production, & operations. His clients have included companies like Warner Brothers International Branded Services, American Greetings Interactive, Asia Sounds, Play TV SA, Diversion Media, & G4 Media.

In 2009 Vinnie was hired by Warner Bros. International Branded Services to help them launch WarnerTV Asia, eventually becoming Director of Programming and Operations for the division which oversaw all of Warner Bros. international linear and branded VOD services. In 2015 WarnerTV Asia was sold to Turner Broadcasting and Vinnie returned to new opportunities including consulting and writing. He currently is a regular contributor to Occupy Democrats and its associated properties, including the Washington Press, VerifiedPolitics, and others.

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