W L - TV , ▁the ▁CBS ▁affili ate ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁ ▁During ▁Gard ner ’ s ▁four ▁years ▁at ▁W W L , ▁E y ew it ness ▁News ▁won ▁several ▁awards , ▁including ▁an ▁Edward ▁R . ▁Mur row ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁New sc ast . ▁ ▁Gard ner ▁left ▁W W L ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁to ▁attend ▁Wh art on . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Gard ner ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁V iewer ' s ▁Cho ice , ▁( now ▁i N DE MA ND ▁Network s ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁director ▁of ▁programming ▁at ▁C ox ▁Communic ations , ▁where ▁he ▁launched ▁joint - vent ure ▁channels ▁with ▁the ▁BBC . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Gard ner ▁joined ▁Fox ▁Network s , ▁and ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁president ▁of ▁affili ate ▁sales ▁and ▁market ing . ▁ ▁At ▁Fox , ▁he ▁launched ▁networks ▁such ▁as ▁Fox ▁Sports ▁Network s , ▁National ▁Geographic ▁Channel , ▁and ▁Fox ▁Re ality . ▁He ▁left ▁Fox ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁partner ▁at ▁Media T ech ▁Capital ▁Part ners ▁where ▁he ▁co - f ounded ▁digital ▁media ▁companies , ▁including ▁Channel ▁Islands , ▁Porto ▁Media , ▁and ▁Be ij ing - based ▁Re ach ▁Media . ▁ ▁From ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁through ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Gard ner ▁served ▁as ▁strateg