The Class of 2006

Group Honors Newest Members and celebrates 40 Years

By Craig Kuhl -- Multichannel News, 4/9/2006 8:00:00 PM

At the 1966 National Show, 21 of cable’s early leaders were recognized for their contributions to the industry, and the Cable Pioneers organization was born.

Forty years later, 18 new members will join the expanding group, pushing the total membership to more than 500 executives who have been instrumental in shaping the industry.

The initial purpose of the Cable Pioneers was to “preserve the spirit and continuity of the social interaction and other associations among early television pioneers.”

Class of 1981
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Cable Pioneers and the 25th anniversary of the Class of 1981, which includes:
Gene Cabral
Jim J. Deveraux
Vincent P. Dolan
Charles F. Erickson
Howard “Scotty” Flink
Joseph F. Gans III
Clifton H. Gardiner
Charles Helein
James S. Keller
Marion Nowak
Maqbool “Mac” Qurashi
Paul Rowan
Frank S. Scarpa
Hubert J. Schlafly
George H. Shapiro
Edward L. Taylor
Leonard Tow
Deceased
Sally Davidson
Sidney Young

Yet, admittedly, early on it was considered a perfect opportunity for many of cable’s legendary names to swap stories and socialize.

“That was the real purpose in the early years. It was just a social group,” said Ben Conroy, a founder and past chairman of the Cable Pioneers. “Then we decided to elect five new members a year and establish a library and a scholarship fund, so it began to grow quickly.”

Through the years, the addition of hundreds of new members representing a wide swath of skills and backgrounds has helped the organization branch into more industry-specific areas and projects, such as scholarship funds and helping create the Cable Center in Denver.

But beyond those ongoing projects, the organization has evolved into a Who’s Who of cable’s most influential people who have guided and helped shape the cable industry, with each being required to have at least 20 years of direct involvement in the business.

“The Pioneers honors those outstanding individuals who, for more than 20 years, have made significant contributions, not only to the cable industry, but to the communities in which they live and conduct business,” said Les Read, executive director of Cable Pioneers.

The Class of 2006 brings a cross-section of new members into the organization, each with their own story to tell about their entry into the cable business.

For pioneering technicians and engineers who were responsible for actually building cable’s infrastructure, their decision to enter the industry was usually based on the challenge of constructing new plant and making it work.

“It was fascinating work. When I first put up two-way cable and a microwave link I thought: 'This is really good stuff.’ And, I was working in an industry that operates and thinks independently,” recalled newly elected Pioneer Wayne Hall.

His engineering and construction colleagues, Bob Dickinson, Don Gall, Richard Jackson, Jim Kuhns, Lon Rosado and Les Read, are also part of the Class of 2006.

On the sales, marketing and operations side of the business, it was joining a fledgling, entrepreneurial industry and helping build its foundation that inspired many in those disciplines to join the industry.

“In the early days, there was still a utility mentality about cable. Today, it’s a multifaceted, multiplatformed business. It’s light years away from those days,” said Dan Davids, a 2006 Cable Pioneer.

Other newly elected members from the sales, advertising, marketing and service disciplines include Italia Commisso Weinand, Erica Gruen, John Hagerty and Shelley Goodman, who also became the first woman to sell cable door-to-door for Cablevision of Long Island.

And for entrepreneurs such as Rocco Commisso, Neil Heller, Dave Keefe, Tom Oliver and Mark Sena, building and advancing cable’s business side — in the U.S. and globally — has been their inspiration to enter the world of cable.

“The groundwork has been laid for us by our predecessors, and it’s a privilege to be part of the group that has made the cable industry what it is today. It was a high-risk, high-return business for entrepreneurs. I enjoy that,” Rocco Commisso said.

For honoree Tom Freston, creator of the “I Want My MTV” campaign, it was all about the creative openness of a new industry that drove him to cable.

All of the members of the Class of 2006 have left a deep and enduring footprint on the cable industry. They join the ranks of previous honorees such as Bill Daniels, commonly referred to as the “Father of Cable TV” and founder of the cable brokerage firm Daniels & Associates in 1958; Milton Shapp, who founded Jerrold Electronics (later General Instrument); Archer Taylor, who launched his first cable system in Missoula Mont. in 1952, and Irving Kahn, who founded the early cable company, TelePrompTer, in 1961, among others.

“I feel privileged, blessed and honored to have known all of the pioneers. I started at the bottom of the industry, and they gave me the knowledge and inspiration to continue. I just hope I can contribute the same,” said Goodman.

The 2006 Class of Cable Pioneers were honored April 9 at the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s National Show in Atlanta.

A Top Consultant

Bob Dickinson, Dovetail Sciences Corp.

Bob Dickinson was one of the early innovators in flyover measures of signal leakage control, set-top boxes, pay-TV security and data transmission. Since his entry into cable in 1971, Dickinson has established himself as one of the industry’s top engineering consultants, guiding cable through countless technical and operational challenges.

Dickinson’s background in mechanical engineering would prove invaluable to the fledgling industry. His knowledge proved particularly helpful to Manhattan Cable (now Time Warner Cable), where he oversaw the system design and operations while expanding his engineering consulting business, Dovetail Sciences Corp.

“The early days of [signal] leakage control and data transmission were probably the most challenging, but also the most rewarding,” he said. “Being named a Cable Pioneer is a real honor and very humbling.”

Dickinson was named Outstanding Engineer for Development by the then-National Cable Television Association in 1982 and has been a member of the NCTA’s engineering committee for 24 years.

He is also a Society Cable Telecommunications Engineers senior member and fellow.

Making MTV Sing

Tom Freston, Viacom

Tom Freston’s unlikely journey into the cable business following eight years of establishing a textile and clothing business in New Delhi, India, is a pioneering effort in itself. Yet since 1980, when he joined Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Co. (WASEC), the predecessor to MTV Networks, he has left an indelible mark on the cable and entertainment industries.

Under his guidance as chairman and CEO of MTVN from 1987 to 2004, the networks grew to reach more than 400 million households in 164 countries and 18 languages through 96 channels worldwide, and produced commercial and critical programming successes such as Nickelodeon’s Rugrats and SpongeBob SquarePants, and MTV: Music Television’s Emmy-winning The Osbournes. As head of marketing for MTV in 1981, he oversaw the breakthrough “I Want My MTV” campaign. He is currently president and CEO of Viacom Inc.

Freston is on the board of the American Museum of Natural History and has served as chairman of numerous organizations, including the Louis Vuitton Cancer Front, the Actors Fund and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

He has also won the Governor’s Award from the National Academy of Cable Programming and Humanitarian of the Year Award from the T.J. Martell Foundation.

'A Real Gift'

Italia Commisso Weinand, Mediacom Communications

Italia Commisso Weinand’s love affair with cable began in 1977 when she became district manager for Manhattan Cable after leaving the retail business. From the outset, her signature sense of humor, humility and leadership skills would impact the cable companies she worked for and the people she influenced.

Weinand currently serves as senior vice president of programming and human resources for Mediacom Communications Corp. Her climb from an entry level position at Manhattan Cable to a top executive at Mediacom has inspired women in cable and earned her a spot in the 2006 class of Cable Pioneers.

Her journey to Mediacom, founded by her brother and fellow Pioneer Rocco Commisso, included stops at Times Mirror Cable, TeleCommunications Inc. and Comcast Corp., where she held positions in customer service, franchise negotiations and as general manager for the New Jersey system.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have been allowed to be creative, passionate and real, and work with some truly remarkable people and teams,” Weinand said. “I saw an exciting business with lots of great people and energy, and that’s when the love affair with cable began. It was a real gift.”

In 2004, Weinand was named a “Wonder Woman.” She also sits on several boards, including Cable Positive and the Emma Bowen Foundation.

A Quantum Leap

Dan Davids, The History Channel

In 1978, Dan Davids went looking for a new career after spending several years with Hertz Corp. He knew he had found what he was looking for after meeting cable pioneer Bill Bresnan.

“I was being told this thing called cable was hot, would grow and is the future of communications. Then I met Bill and the rest is history,” Davids said.

He joined TelePrompTer/Group W Cable as director of marketing in 1978, and for five years, learned valuable advertising and marketing lessons on the operator side of the business.

In 1984, his career took a quantum leap when he joined the fledgling A&E Network as marketing director, leading to his current position as president of The History Channel USA.

Under Davids’s leadership, The History Channel has received several news and documentary awards, including a 1999 Emmy Award for its “Saving Our History” campaign awarded to Davids and The History Channel by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

“Standing up there and thanking the academy was a very special moment. I just couldn’t believe we had won the award,” he said. “I’ve been in the business for 28 years and worked side-by-side with many industry leaders. Being recognized as a small part of that group is very humbling.”

No Risk, No Return

Rocco Commisso, Mediacom Communications

Joining an industry full of entrepreneurs, risk-takers and innovators was Rocco Commisso’s impetus to enter the cable industry. His path eventually led him to found his own company, Mediacom Communications Corp.

As a vice president for Chase Manhattan Bank in 1978, Commisso granted loans to construct cable systems in New York, New Jersey and Kansas City, and from that moment he was a cable believer.

“I was really drawn to the high risk, high return aspect of cable and enjoyed working with that group, particularly [Cablevision Industries Corp. chairman and founder] Alan Gerry, who was most influential to my career. His tenacity, humility and leadership were very inspiring to me,” Commisso said.

Commisso has grown Mediacom into the eighth-largest operator in the country. The company serves more than 1.4 million subscribers in 23 states.

He also contributes his time and energy as a member of the board of directors of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, CableLabs and C-SPAN and sits on several other committees and associations.

Commisso is also a major supporter of his alma mater, Columbia University, and was recently named one of the school’s 250 greatest alumni.

Engineering Success

Don Gall, Pangrac & Associates

For more than 35 years, Don Gall has not only witnessed the technological and engineering seachanges that have taken place within cable, he has actually participated in many of them.

Gall’s early interest in chemistry was soon overshadowed by an intense fascination with the fledgling cable industry when he took a job in 1970 as construction assistant for Taney County Cable in Branson, Mo., marking the beginning of a career in cable engineering and management.

“Early on, I had the technical background, but we all had to wear several different hats and think differently about the business and management sides,” Gall said. “It was much harder than just being a technician.”

Gall went on to be a technician, engineer and consultant for Time Warner Cable from 1982 to 1997. Currently, he is chief technical officer for Pangrac & Associates, an engineering consultant firm.

He was a major player in Time Warner’s engineering group, which received an Emmy award for the development of analog fiber technology and has contributed to the advancement of fiber networks through his work at the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers.

Recipe for Success

Erica Gruen, Erica Gruen Consulting

As a trained psychologist, Erica Gruen’s “secret desire” was to work in TV. Her serendipitous chance came in 1980 when a new network called Bravo was preparing to launch. What has transpired since has earned Gruen a place among cable’s pioneers.

“It was dumb luck. I hadn’t even heard of cable, then worked with a production crew while I was marketing director of the Aspen Music Festival. It led to Bravo, then to Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, Lifetime and the Food Network,” she said. “It’s been the ultimate business and creative challenge, and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity in any other business. It’s been a real privilege.”

Gruen, now president and founder of Erica Gruen Consulting/Quantum Media Assoc., became one of the first women in cable to achieve the rank of CEO after being named to the top position at Food Network in 1996.

She helped create the flow of advertising dollars to the cable industry while at Saatchi & Saatchi and authored A Look at Cable Television, the defacto industry handbook to “what’s hot and what’s not” in cable.

Gruen has won an Emmy for What Every Baby Knows and Emeril Live! and five Cable Ace awards.

HBO Veteran

John Hagerty, The Independent Owner Group

John Hagerty is not only a cable pioneer, but his 30 years at one company, Home Box Office, qualifies him as a rarity in the industry.

Hagerty joined the premium network in 1976 as a marketing analyst. His rise through the ranks included responsibilities in special markets, affiliate sales and marketing premium services.

Along the way, he created and was the executive producer of the first “HBO Sellathon” in 1980, which pioneered one of the most successful marketing concepts in cable. Based on that success, Hagerty oversaw the development and implementation of HBO’s sales policy and the distribution of HBO and Cinemax to an expanding market.

He is currently responsible for managing the Independent Owner Group, which consists of more than 1000 of HBO’s smaller cable accounts.

He is a long-time member of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing and several other cable organizations, and served as chairman of the Wireless Cable Association for six years and received the organization’s highest award, the Golden Eagle Award, for service rendered.

'Crystal Clear' Sales

Shelley Blaine Goodman, AETN

In 1979, Shelley Goodman answered an ad to sell cable television service for Viacom Cablevision of Long Island, becoming the first woman at the system to sell cable door-to-door. With her background in selling encyclopedias, she never blinked at the concept of selling house-to-house.

“I always had a reel of co-ax cable in my trunk and made my own jumper cables to hook up customers with a box and sell the 'crystal clear reception,’ of cable,” she recalled. “But I absolutely wanted to be in the TV business, and that was my chance. And with a strong background in encyclopedia sales it was a natural progression.”

Goodman’s progress led her to Showtime Networks Inc. two years later, where she became district affiliate manager, which launched her career in the cable network side of the industry. In 1982, she was named vice president of A&E Television Networks’ Canadian business, and she remains with A&E today.

Goodman has won several awards for her contributions to the cable industry and has sat on a wide range of association boards, including the Virginia Cable Association, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, Women in Cable & Telecommunications and the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences.

Scaling Heights

Wayne Hall, Comcast

A passion for the outdoors and the entrepreneurial spirit of a new industry drove Wayne Hall into the cable business, though the outdoor part initially meant climbing poles and reading tap levels.

“I just wanted to work outdoors, so I didn’t care what it was. It was blind luck and a fascination with reading levels, balancing amplifiers and preparing proof of performance for cable networks that drove me to the cable industry,” Hall said.

Hall has literally climbed up through the ranks of companies such as C-COR Electronics (his first job in cable) beginning in 1977. During his 30-year career in cable, he has managed technical operations for Time Warner Cable, Harron Communications Corp. and Comcast Corp., and at each stop contributed valuable technical, operational and engineering skills and experience.

He is currently vice president of Engineering for Comcast and recently served two terms as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Society of Cable & Telecommunications Engineers and was named to Comcast’s Engineering Hall of Fame.

Hall is a West Point graduate and recipient of several industry awards.

Making the List

Neil Heller, Comcast

As the attorney for a printing company in the late 1970s, it wasn’t a stretch for Neil Heller to launch a cable listings magazine. What he didn’t realize was how successful The Cable Guide and Total TV would become.

His company, TVSM Inc., would also become the first publisher of an online listing service and eventually add several top cable operators as partners.

“I’m very proud of how we grew the company from literally nothing to the largest publication of weekly guides in terms of customers to 5 million,” said Heller.

After nearly 20 years running TVSM, Heller formed two venture capital organizations in 1999, specializing in early stage technology companies. In 2004, he founded The Heller Group, an advisory service for early stage funding in broadband technology. Heller is currently senior vice president of quality assurance and JV operations for Comcast Corp.

He has served on numerous industry committees, including the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing and the Cable Advertising Bureau.

Mapping the Future

Richard Jackson, Jackson Communications Corp.

In 1965, Richard Jackson asked a cable installer how much coaxial cable he was installing in the local community. When he discovered it was 87 miles, not 87 feet, he immediately decided cable was the business for him.

“The sheer volume really impressed me, but I found that the maps were terrible. I’d been in the phone business for 12 years and knew cable was the place for me,” Jackson said.

Inspired by the industry’s growing demands, Jackson, president and founder of Jackson Communications Corp., a cable TV construction and system operations company, immediately began mapping and building cable plant.

He subsequently expanded his construction business and developed a set of tools that protects cable, and created manuals used in the mapping of cable plant. Jackson has patented more than 15 tools that have eased the installation of coaxial cable.

His company has been awarded sustaining membership in the Society of Cable & Telecommunications Engineers for training and standards in engineering and construction and several other engineering awards.

Around the World

Dave Keefe, Atlantic Broadband

When Dave Keefe joined Cox Cable Communications in 1972 as an installer, not as a management trainee as he had expected, little did he know where it would lead.

Using the invaluable experience gained in his early days as an installer, technician and eventually in system management, Keefe has built, acquired and franchised dozens of systems around the world, including Brazil, Hong Kong, Hungary and Poland. His most recent venture is the acquisition of various broadband cable properties from Charter Communications Inc. to form Atlantic Broadband, where he is CEO and partner.

“The dynamic development of products and services to consumers is remarkable. Just two years ago, VoIP [voice over Internet protocol] wasn’t even in the business plan, now the triple play is being deployed successfully. I’m just very fortunate to be part of this industry,” he said.

Keefe is former vice chairman of the New England Cable TV Association and former chairman of the Southern California Cable Association and has served on several industry-related boards.

Lessons Learned

Jim Kuhns, James Cable

As a rookie cable technician at Storer Cable in Charleston, S.C., in 1982, Jim Kuhns was responsible for all technical aspects of a 300-mile zone of 300 megahertz RF one-way plant. The lessons learned at this rudimentary system would be the foundation for his pioneering career in the cable industry.

He would eventually use those lessons learned while working at Summit Cable Services, Continental Cablevision Inc. and Comcast Corp. in a variety of positions ranging from engineering manager to his current position as vice president of engineering for James Cable in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

But Kuhns’s valuable contributions to the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers stand out as a true pioneering effort.

He has authored textbooks and software that have been invaluable sources of information for the cable industry and in the training of technical people.

He has received numerous awards for his work at SCTE and has served as its vice chairman, in addition to holding other posts on the organization’s board of directors.

'Out of the Box'

Tom Oliver, Game Play Media/Play-It-Now Inc.

Just being a part of the launch of Home Box Office in 1972 might qualify one for entry into the Cable Pioneers. But for Tom Oliver it was just the beginning of a career that would lead him to Digital Music Express in 1987, then to the Interactive Channel, Source Media and his current position as CEO of Game Play Media/Play-It-Now Inc.

Along the way, Oliver, who calls himself an “out-of-the-box” thinker, has pushed the industry into many new revenue-generating opportunities, including subscription digital music, on-demand interactivity and HBO in hotels. “People thought subscription digital music was nuts until we showed the Bose walk-around headphones dramatizing push-button access to CD quality music,” according to Oliver.

He also has been a champion for the Digital Rights Act in Congress and won two Art Director Awards for the “Lost Opportunities” direct mail campaign, and the “Entertainment Explosion” campaign.

“I’ve been fortunate to have worked during many of my formative, and at times painful, years with great HBO leaders like Jerry Levin, Nick Nicholas, Frank Biondi, Michael Fuchs and Tony Cox,” he said.

Teaching the Basics

Les Read, Read Broadband Services

In 1947 at age 10, Les Read’s goal was to fix the snowy pictures on his TV screen. Twenty-two years later he took a giant step towards achieving that goal by earning an electrical engineering degree from Georgia Tech and joining Sammons Communications in Dallas, where he performed the first flyover test to measure airspace leakage, while managing Sammons’s first fiber-optic network.

“Many of these technical and engineering changes began in 1981, when I was a field service engineer for Sammons,” Read said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have been a part of those changes. And most satisfying has been the opportunity to train field personnel in cable basics.”

Read is a senior member of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers, and the first person certified by the organization at the engineer level.

His career also includes a position as national trainer and safety director for MasTec Inc., a cable construction company, and membership on several engineering organizations’ boards.

He continues to train technical personnel via Read Broadband Services.

Cable in the Blood

Lon Rosado, Great Lakes Data Systems

Lon Rosado’s cable career has seen him go from a 1964 summer job as an installer at Valley Antennavision in El Centro, Calif., to his current position as president and CEO of Great Lakes Data Systems Inc.

“Cable just gets into your blood,” he said. In his 42 years in cable, Rosado has been an installer, service technician, splicer, salesman, general manager, regional manager, vice president of operations, partner, president and CEO.

Now, he develops software solutions for more than 300 cable operators to help with billing and provisioning solutions as the industry moves into voice over Internet protocol, video on demand and cable modems.

But his most inspiring moment during his 42 years in the cable industry occurred on the rooftop of a Beaver Dam, Wis., office building. “I witnessed for the first time a signal from satellite. I couldn’t believe it. It was amazing and literally changed the industry,” he recalls.

Rosado has served on several national and state association boards and is one of the earliest members of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers. He continues his service as associate member of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and other state cable associations.

A Global Advocate

Mark Sena, MediaSphere Partners

Like many of his Cable Pioneer colleagues, Mark Sena’s entry into the industry began with the fundamentals. As the newly named marketing manager for Upstate Cablevision in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1976, his early years were spent learning all aspects of the business — from advertising to service theft.

Those lessons helped Sena become one of the industry’s leading advocates for the global development of cable television while acting as senior vice president of marketing and international services for Communications Equity Associates LLC, and in his current position as president and managing partner for MediaSphere Partners LLC.

Sena has worked closely with national and regional cable associations in Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America and North America to develop cross-border relationships.

He has also been instrumental in developing the Cable Center and a primary architect in forming the organization’s global strategy.

He is a long-time member of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing and since 1997 has served on the advisory board of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.