The Cable Center said Wednesday that it has named two former cable executives — the late Bill Daniels and retired Cox Communications CEO Patrick Esser — as recipients of its 2021 and 2022 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.

The award recognizes the late William J. Bresnan, founder and chairman of Bresnan Communications and longtime chairman of the board of The Cable Center. The award will be presented at the 25th annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration, September 15 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York.

"Bill and Pat’s commitment to the creation and growth of the cable industry, as well as their history of supporting innumerable philanthropic endeavors is truly inspirational," The Cable Center president and CEO Diane Christman said in a press release. "We are delighted to honor them with the Bresnan Award."

Daniels, who died in 2000, is the 2020 Bresnan awardee and was an early pioneer in the cable industry. He started out building cable systems in the western part of the country, later forming Daniels & Associates, which became the consummate cable broker, facilitating many deals that shaped the cable business. He also was an active philanthropist,  providing significant support to innovative education efforts. He founded Young Americans Bank in 1987, the world's only bank exclusively for kids, and made substantial donations to the University of Denver to incorporate ethics, values, and personal integrity into the business school curriculum. The business school was later renamed the Daniels College of Business in his honor.

Daniels spent his final years laying plans for the Daniels Fund, which is now one of the largest foundations in the Rocky Mountain region, continuing his legacy of compassion and generosity across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through grants, scholarships, and an ethics initiative.

"On behalf of the Daniels Fund, I am honored to accept this award for Bill Daniels," Daniels Fund president and CEO Hanna Skandera said in a press release. "He would have been extremely proud to receive this recognition along with Pat. He dedicated his life to the cable industry and to giving back to his community. His commitment to ethics and to being a steward of the next generation of leaders was unrivaled and we continue to see the impact of that commitment today."

Esser retired in 2021 after 15 years as CEO of Cox. A 42-year veteran of the company — he joined Cox in 1979 — during his tenure as CEO, Cox earned many accolades for celebrating its diverse people, suppliers, communities, products and the characteristics that make each one unique. Esser has personally been recognized with several industry awards including the Cable Advertising Bureau’s President’s Award, NCTA’s Vanguard Award for Leadership, Multichannel News’ Executive of the Year, NAMIC’s Living Legend Award and Hall of Fame inductions by both The Cable Center and Broadcasting+Cable

Also: Cable Industry Execs Salute Cox’s Patrick Esser

Esser currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of C-SPAN as well as a national Trustee and member of the Board of Governors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He also served many years on both the board of CableLabs and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

“I am thrilled to accept the Bresnan Award,” Esser said in a press release. “Bill Bresnan was not only a mentor, but also a friend, and I greatly admired his passion for our industry and to doing what is right in today’s business world. I am humbled to be named this year’s award recipient and I am thrilled to be recognized alongside Bill Daniels.”

The Bresnan Ethics in Business Award was created to honor outstanding men and women in the cable industry who best exemplify Bill Bresnan’s long-standing commitment to ethics in business, and demonstrating societal, community, and philanthropic engagement.

“Bill and Pat have been two of the most passionate and innovative members of our industry. Their dedication to people and philanthropy exemplifies what the Bresnan Award is all about,” Michael Willner, chairman and CEO of Penthera Partners and chairman of The Cable Center’s board of directors, said in a press release. “Pat has shown outstanding leadership at the helm of Cox Communications and his dedication to our industry and to supporting his community is extraordinary. Bill helped found the cable industry and his entrepreneurial spirit was at the core of its growth and success. We are honored to recognize both Bill and Pat.” ▪️

The Cable Center has named June Travis, former executive VP and chief operating officer of the National Cable Television Association, the 2018 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award recipient. The award honors the late William J. Bresnan, founder and chairman of Bresnan Communications and longtime chairman of the board of The Cable Center. Travis will be presented the industry accolade at the 21st annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration, April 4 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City, the Cable Center noted in a release.

“I am honored to be recognized as this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award recipient,” Travis said in the release. “Bill was a friend and colleague whom I admired greatly. He displayed integrity and high ethics in every aspect of his life, and I am humbled to be named this year’s award recipient.”

“June has helped to shape the cable television industry with her vision and guidance,” Frank Drendel, chair of the board and founder of CommScope, chairman of the Bresnan Award selection committee and past Bresnan Award recipient, added. “She demonstrated ethics in every aspect of her career, and we are thrilled to present her this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.”

READ MORE: Cable Center rounds out 2018 Cable Hall of Fame class

Travis was EVP and COO of NCTA from 1994 until she retired from the cable television industry in 1999. Earlier she had been president and COO of Rifkin & Associates, a Denver-based cable company. She had also served in executive positions at American Television and Communications Corporation, the predecessor to Time Warner Cable. 

She has served as an officer and board member for CommScope, NCTA, C-SPAN, Cable in the Classroom, TechCorps and Women in Cable Telecommunications, and chaired the industry’s political action committee, CablePAC, for nine years, the Cable Center said. 

“June’s involvement through boards and organizations in both the cable industry and in her community has been phenomenal, and she has provided thought leadership in so many areas of our industry,” Jana L. Henthorn, president and CEO, The Cable Center, said. “We are delighted to honor her as this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award honoree.”

The Bresnan Ethics in Business award was created to honor outstanding men and women in the cable industry who best exemplify Bill Bresnan’s longstanding commitment to ethics in business. Awardees represent the ideals upheld by Bill Bresnan, including continually demonstrating ethical leadership qualities, doing what’s right in the face of adversity, even when it is unpopular, incorporating doing what’s right in everyday life, and demonstrating societal, community and philanthropic engagement.

The 21st annual Cable Hall of Fame will be held on April 4, 2018 in New York City at the Ziegfeld Ballroom. Since 1998, 127 leaders have been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. For more, see www.cablehalloffame.com or call 720-502-7513. 

The Cable Center said that Frank M. Drendel, chair of the board and founder of CommScope Inc., has been named the 2017 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award recipient. The award honors the late William J. Bresnan, founder and chairman of Bresnan Communications and longtime chairman of the board of The Cable Center. Drendel will be presented the industry accolade at the 20th annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration on April 26 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C.

“It is a true honor to be named this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award recipient,” Drendel said in a release. “Bill served as the best example of what ethics in business should be, and it is with great appreciation that I am being recognized with this award in his honor.”

“Frank has spent his entire career as a visionary leader and mentor in the cable television industry,” Nick Davatzes, chief executive officer emeritus, A+E Networks, and chairman of the Bresnan Award selection committee, said in the release. “He exemplifies ethics in business, and we are thrilled to present him this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.”

Drendel served as CommScope’s chief executive officer from his founding of the company in 1976 until its acquisition by The Carlyle Group in January 2011. He has served as chairman since 2011. While at CommScope, Drendel also served as a director of GI Delaware, a subsidiary of General Instrument Corp. and its predecessors from 1987 to 1992, a director of General Instrument Corp. from 1992 until 1997, and a director of NextLevel Systems Inc. (which was renamed General Instrument) from 1997 until January 2000. Before founding of the company, Drendel held various positions within the Comm/Scope division of Superior Continental from 1971 to 1976.

Drendel is a director of the Internet and Television Association (NCTA) and the SCTE Executive Council. He previously served on the board of Sprint Nextel Corporation, Nextel Communications, Inc., Tyco International Ltd., The Cable Center and C-SPAN.

Drendel has previously been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame; won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development and received various NCTA awards. Other accolades include the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian award given by the State of North Carolina; and the 2013 North Carolina Technology Association Outstanding Achievement Award. He graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.

“Frank served as an invaluable member of our board and served as vice chairman for seven years. We are so pleased to honor him as this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award honoree,” Jana L. Henthorn, president and CEO, The Cable Center, said in the release. “His dedication and steady guidance over the years has been instrumental to The Cable Center and to our entire industry.”

The Bresnan Ethics in Business award was created to honor outstanding men and women in the cable industry who best exemplify Bill Bresnan’s longstanding commitment to ethics in business. Previous recipients can be found at this link.

The Cable Center said it has named Continental Cablevision founder Amos B. Hostetter Jr. as the 2016 recipient of the Bresnan Ethics in Business Award. The award honors the late William J. Bresnan, founder and chairman of Bresnan Communications and long-time chairman of the board of The Cable Center. Hostetter will received the award at the 19th annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration, May 16 at the Westin Boston Waterfront, in conjunction with the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s (NCTA) Internet and Television Expo (INTX).

“I am honored to have been chosen for this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award,” Hostetter said in a statement. “Bill was a respected colleague, and most importantly, a good friend, and it is a real privilege to receive this recognition in his memory.” 

Hostetter currently serves as chairman of Pilot House Associates, LLC. He was the co-founder and former chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Cablevision, Inc.; and was also a former director of AT&T. Additionally, Hostetter is the chair emeritus of the board of trustees of WGBH and of Amherst College; chair of Global Post, LLC; and is a trustee of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the North Bennet Street School and Belmont Hill School.

He is best known as a pioneer and innovator in the industry – Continental was one of the first cable operators to introduce broadband – and his decision to leave the company he founded shortly after selling it to telco U.S. West in 1996. Less than a year later, after US West reneged on a promise to keep the Continental management team intact and in Boston, Hostetter and several of his top executives resigned.    

“Amos has always been a role model for many of us in the cable television industry,” said Brian Lamb, executive chairman, C-SPAN, and chairman of the Bresnan Award selection committee. “In many ways ‘ethics’ could be his middle name.”

Hostetter also is a former board member and chairman of NCTA, and was a founding board member and former chairman of C-SPAN and Cable in the Classroom. He is also a former board member of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB), Children’s Television Workshop (CTW), the Nantucket Conservation Foundation and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; and is a former member of the Vestry of Trinity Church, Boston.

Hostetter has received numerous awards and honors including the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award; and induction into the Cable Hall of Fame and Broadcasting & Cable’s Hall of Fame for lifetime contribution to the communications industry.

 “The Cable Center is pleased to recognize Amos with this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award,” said Jana L. Henthorn, president and CEO. “He has consistently provided strong leadership and guidance throughout his years in the cable industry, and his dedication to philanthropy and ethics in business is truly admirable.”

The Bresnan Ethics in Business award was created to honor outstanding men and women in the cable industry who best exemplify Bill Bresnan’s longstanding commitment to ethics in business. Awardees represent the ideals upheld by Bill Bresnan, including continually demonstrating ethical leadership qualities, doing what’s right in the face of adversity, even when it is unpopular, incorporating doing what’s right in everyday life, and demonstrating societal, community and philanthropic engagement. 

The Cable Center said Wednesday that it has named former National Cable & Telecommunications CEO and president of Landmark Communications Decker Anstrom as the recipient of the 2015 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.

The award, named in honor of the late Bresnan Communications founder and chairman and long-time chairman of the Cable Center board William Bresnan, will be presented at the 18th annual Cable Hall of Fame Celebration, May 5 at the Chicago Navy Pier, in conjunction with the NCTA’s Internet and Television Expo (INTX).

“The Bresnan Ethics in Business Award is not only a wonderful honor, but also a very humbling one,” Anstrom said in a statement. “I loved and respected Bill so much - and the previous recipients have all been true giants of our industry.” 

Anstrom joined the NCTA as executive vice president in 1987 and became president and CEO in 1994. During his tenure, he led the cable industry’s efforts that helped result in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In 1999, Anstrom joined The Weather Channel Companies (TWCC) in Atlanta, GA. as president and CEO. In 2002 he became president of Landmark Communications and in that position he also served as chairman of TWCC.  He retired as president of Landmark Communications and chairman of The Weather Channel Companies in 2008, following Landmark’s sale of The Weather Channel to a group including NBC Universal.

He currently serves on the board of directors of Discovery Communications, as well as on the boards of several non-profit environmental groups including the Island Press, Climate Central, and Planet Forward. He also serves as chairman of the Board for the National Environmental Education Foundation and the Institute for Educational Leadership.

“Decker’s leadership has helped to shape our industry into the thriving, innovating business it is today,” said retired chairman and chief executive officer, Bright House Networks, and chairman of the Bresnan Award selection committee Bob Miron in a statement. “His commitment to public service and philanthropy is unrivaled, and we are delighted to honor him with the Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.”

Prior to his positions at Landmark, Anstrom had a long career in public service and in the communications industry. During the Carter administration, he was a senior staff member in the White House Office of Management and Budget, working on the creation of the U.S. Department of Education. He also served in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel and was president of Public Strategies, a Washington-based public policy consulting firm.

Anstrom also served as U.S. Ambassador and Head of the U.S. Delegation to the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12), held under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union. WRC-12 was a treaty conference involving 150 nations that considered international and regional spectrum allocations that support satellite, mobile and other wireless services.

In addition, Anstrom has served on numerous cable industry boards, including NCTA, which he chaired for two years, and Comcast Corporation, where he chaired the Governance Committee. He is a member of the Cable Hall of Fame and has also received numerous industry awards including the Vanguard for Leadership Award.

“On behalf of The Cable Center, I am honored to recognize Decker with this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award,” said Cable Center CEO Larry Satkowiak in a statement.  “His leadership on so many important issues in the cable industry and his involvement in the community are testaments to his dedication and commitment to ethics in business.”

The Bresnan Ethics in Business award was created to honor outstanding men and women in the cable industry who best exemplify Bill Bresnan’s longstanding commitment to ethics in business. Awardees represent the ideals upheld by Bill Bresnan, including continually demonstrating ethical leadership qualities, doing what’s right in the face of adversity, even when it is unpopular, incorporating doing what’s right in everyday life, and demonstrating societal, community and philanthropic engagement. 

Past awardees include Miron,  former CableVision Industries founder and Alan Gerry,  C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb and A+E Networks CEO emeritus Nick Davatzes.