In-house entrepreneur.(Patrick Vien)(Brief Article)

Vien is charged with building USA's portfolio of digital assets

Patrick Vien knows it's not easy for a French-Canadian to break into the American television business. And it's even harder to crack the New York media circle. But as president of USA Cable's emerging networks, Vien is carving out a successful niche as he builds Barry Diller's portfolio of digital networks.

"Starting as an unknown outside the American border forced me to learn everything very quickly," says Vien, who was born and educated in Quebec.

Vien arrived in New York last year after USA Cable purchased arts channel Trio and global news net News World International from the …