Former Cox CEO Robbins Seriously Ill

By Mike Farrell -- Multichannel News, 10/9/2007 10:38:00 AM

Former Cox Communications CEO James Robbins’ cancer has spread and the cable industry veteran is seriously ill, the cable company confirmed Tuesday.

Robbins, a 22-year veteran of the Atlanta-based cable company before retiring in 2005, has been undergoing treatment for cancer for several months. According to some friends of the Robbins family who have been informed about his condition, the former Cox executive’s cancer has spread to his brain and liver.

A Cox representative confirmed that Robbins has cancer and is seriously ill, but declined to comment further to respect his family’s wishes for privacy. A Web site reported his illness earlier Tuesday after word began to get around to colleagues and friends, and to Multichannel News, which had declined to publish the information at the family’s request.

A U.S. Navy veteran who completed two tours of duty during the Vietnam War, Robbins joined Cox in 1983 after stints at Viacom Cable and Continental Cablevision. He was named Cox president in 1985 and added CEO to his title when Cox Communications went public in 1995.

Under his watch, Cox increased its subscriber base from 1.3 million to 6.3 million.

A respected leader in the cable industry, Robbins served twice as chairman of the National Cable Telecommunications Association and has won multiple awards, including the industry’s Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership in 1996. Under his leadership, Cox Communications won the J.D. Power Award four times for customer satisfaction in cable and telephone services; was recognized as the industry's best operator three times; and was named the best operator for women twice.

Also on a sad note, people in the cable industry said that former Time Warner Cable executive vice president of programming Fred Dressler was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Dressler, who was with the cable company for 30 years, retired last year.

Time Warner Cable said that it did not feel it was appropriate to comment on such personal matters.

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