Playing it by ear, successfully (Mint)

Bill Roedy, 63, the former chairman and chief executive, MTV Networks International (MTVNI), is one of the people who designed and led the expansion of MTV across continents. Under his leadership, MTVNI developed MTV Europe in 1989, brought MTV Asia to India in 1994 and launched other international channels such as Nickelodeon and VH1. Roedy is well-known for setting up a localization model which has been commercially successful, and which allows for enough artistic autonomy.

In his new book, What Makes Business Rock, Roedy talks about contemporary music history as well as the story of the business behind the music. In a phone interview from Miami, US, Roedy spoke to Mint about his pet strategies—localize and break all rules. Edited excerpts: …