The Cable Center said Tuesday that it has named industry veteran Camilla Formica as its new chief program officer, a role where she will work alongside CEO Diane Christman to accelerate the next phase of the organization’s Vision 2025 strategic plan.

Formica has more than 33 years of experience in the cable industry and most recently served as chief revenue officer at NCTI. As chief program officer at The Cable Center, Formica will focus on the continued expansion of its Intrapreneurship Academy as well as other programs including its C5 consumer experience initiative and its Crosscut webinar series. 

Formica has a long track record in the industry, joining NCTI in 2010 after serving as International Fiber Communications’ corporate VP, sales. She also held leadership roles at Metromedia/Worldcom and ICG. She began her career at Metromedia Communications in Southern California.  

In May, she was recognized by The WICT Network-Rocky Mountain with the Mentor of the Year award and in September will be inducted into the 56th class of Cable TV Pioneers.

“Camilla is a respected leader and recognized mentor in our industry who brings the experience, relationships, and drive to move The Cable Center forward,” Christman said in a press release. “Working with Camilla, our team will deliver on our mandate to evolve The Cable Center by supporting leaders who are defining a new era for our industry.”

The Cable Center unveiled the Vision 2025 initiative in January 2021, a five-year plan to expand programs and bolster the organization’s brand and role as its members transform into connectivity companies. Vision 2025 will culminate with the Cable Center’s 40th anniversary.

Being a part of that strategy and its evolution and the chance to work with Christman and the rest of the Cable Center team — which she called a “once-in-a lifetime opportunity” — was one of the key reasons Formica was drawn to the job.   

“To me this is the opportunity to have an impact on leaders, and to have an impact on a grander scale, the industry,” Formica said in an interview. “It was such a great opportunity as well as to lead what is really a once-in-a-lifetime mission, the Vision 2025 strategy. … I think we’re really just scratching the surface on Vision 2025 on the things that are to come with the Cable Center." 

While the center’s Intrapreneurship Academy is a cornerstone, Formica added that other programs like the Cable Center Hall of Fame, C5 customer experience initiative and other programs will be important as well. 

“On top of that we’re really building out more programming to look at beyond Intrapreneurship Academy, things like our Crosscut webinar series, our symposium that is coming up, so as we continue to evolve as the thought leaders in the industry and really looking at innovation and big thinking and agility and all of the really big foundational learnings we’re looking at and introducing to the industry, from the Cable Center side, that’s what we’re going to be focusing on at least through 2025.”

Customer service is another area that is likely to see a boost, as cable operators shift toward a self-install model and other industries build fiber and, in some cases, like electric companies, begin to offer in-home broadband for the first time. 

“People are going into a customer’s home for the first time in the history of their company,” Formica said. “They have no idea what customer service is. There is such a strong need to have customer experience training, education and all of that in our industry. I think we’re really well-suited to provide a really excellent program at C5 and we’re got the right team there within our internal C5 team running the program. I think you’re going to see a real evolution there as well in the next couple of years.” 

While there are no plans to beef up staffing at the Cable Center programs in the near term, Formica said that continued participation from members and the industry will be key to its success.

“We would love for people to reach out to us that are interested; if it’s operators, if it’s whatever,” Formica said. “If they want to host some of this training at their organization, we would love for people to step up and do that.” ■

The Cable Center said it has named six industry veterans to its 2022 Cable Hall of Fame class and they will be celebrated at a red carpet event at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on September 15.

The event marks the first year the celebration will be held in person since the 2020-21 gala was held virtually.

The honorees, selected for their groundbreaking leadership and entrepreneurship in the connectivity, content and media industry, are:

• Patricia Jo Boyers – President/CEO & Co-Founder, BOYCOM Cablevision, Inc.; Chairman of the Board of Directors, ACA Connects

• Kevin Casey – President, Northeast Division of Comcast Cable

• Chris Lammers – COO Emeritus and Senior Executive Advisor, CableLabs

• Tina Perry – President, OWN TV Network & OTT Streaming

• John C. Porter II – CEO, Telenet Group Holding

• The Honorable Michael K. Powell – President & CEO, NCTA-The Internet & Television Association; Former Chairman of the FCC

"Our 2022 Cable Hall of Fame class represents the ‘best of the best’ of our industry. Each of these trailblazers has worked to shape the cable and video entertainment industry through their leadership and pioneering ideas," said chairman of The Cable Center board of directors and CEO of Penthera Partners Michael Willner in a press release. "We are also thrilled to welcome everyone back to the red carpet for our Cable Hall of Fame celebration this fall in New York."

Since 1998, 147 luminaries have been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame.

"The entrepreneurial spirit and dedication shown by this year’s inductees has had an immeasurable impact on our industry throughout the world. We can’t wait to gather in person again and honor them at our celebration at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 15," Cable Center CEO Diane Christman said in a press release. ■

More information on the event can be found here. ■  

The Cable Center said Tuesday that its 23rd annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration, slated for Oct. 20, will be held virtually.

“After much thought and consideration, The Cable Center decided that it was best to host our Cable Hall of Fame event virtually at this time,” The Cable Center president and CEO Jana Henthorn said in a press release. “We are eager to gather in spirit with the industry on October 20, and finally have the opportunity to celebrate our honorees.”

The celebration will air on C-SPAN 3 at 8p.m. ET and be available for view simultaneously on C-SPAN.org. The program will also be featured in the C-SPAN Video Library and available for on demand viewing immediately following the event.

The Cable Center had hoped to hold part of the celebration at its regular venue -- The Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City -- allowing those that couldn’t make the trip to participate virtually. Now it appears that the entire offering will be held online. 

The Cable Hall of Fame selected seven industry leaders in March 2020 for this year’s class:  Baker Media CEO Bridget Baker; former Charter Communications EVP IT and Engineering Jim Blackley; Urban One founder and chairwoman Cathy Hughes; TV One chairman and CEO and Urban One CEO Alfred C. Liggins III; Cable Pioneer Jeff Marcus; Comcast Cable president and CEO Dave Watson; and WarnerMedia News & Sports president and president CNN Worldwide Jeff Zucker.

The Bresnan Ethics in Business Award will also be presented to Ted Turner, Environmentalist and Philanthropist, during the Cable Hall of Fame celebration.

“This year has proven that our industry is extremely resilient and creative, and the Cable Hall of Fame will be no different,” Michael Willner, president and CEO of Penthera Partners and chairman of The Cable Center’s Board of Directors, said in a press release. “We have some fun surprises in store as we roll out the red carpet virtually for our honorees and we are thrilled that C-SPAN has agreed to air this engaging celebration. We can’t wait to induct our 2020 class and hope that everyone will support this must-see event by not only viewing but also through our unique sponsorship opportunities.”

The Cable Center is still confirming its plans for 2021 honorees. For more information on the celebration, visit www.cablehalloffame.com.

The Cable Center said Wednesday that it will reschedule its 23rd annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration to Oct. 20 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.

This is the fourth time the Center has had to reschedule the event. It was originally scheduled for April 30, 2020,  but was pushed to the fall of that year because of the pandemic.   In June 2020, it was rescheduled again to April 29, 2021.  

The Cable Hall of Fame inductees are: 

Bridget Baker: CEO Baker Media Inc.

Jim Blackley: Former EVP, IT and Engineering Charter Communications

Cathy Hughes: founder and chairwoman, Urban One

Alfred C. Liggins III: CEO, Urban One; chairman and CEO TV One

Jeff Marcus: Cable Pioneer

Dave Watson: president and CEO Comcast Cable

Jeff Zucker: chairman, WarnerMedia, News & Sports and president, CNN Worldwide 

The Bresnan Ethics in Business Award will also be presented to Ted Turner during the celebration. For those unable to gather in-person, the Cable Center said it will host a virtual celebration.

The Center said it is still confirming its plans for 2021 honorees. For more information on the celebration, visit www.cablehalloffame.com.

The Cable Center said that due to developments tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is rescheduling its annual Cable Center Hall of Fame dinner to April 29, 2021 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York.

The dinner was originally scheduled for April 30 in New York, but in March said it would be postponed until the fall because of the pandemic. Now that date has been pushed to next year. The Cable Center said more details will follow.

The event will honor seven new inductees -- CEO of Baker Media and co-founder of CNBC Bridget Baker; former Charter Communications EVP of IT Jim Blackley; Urban One founder and chairwoman Cathy Hughes; Urban One CEO and TV One chairman and CEO Alfred Liggins III; Marcus Cable founder and cable pioneer Jeff Marcus; Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson; and WarnerMedia News & Sports chairman and CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker.

 “We look forward to celebrating our 2020 Cable Hall of Fame class next April,” said Michael Willner, president and CEO of Penthera Partners and chairman of The Cable Center’s Board of Directors in a press release. “The health and safety of our Cable Hall of Fame attendees, honorees, and community has always been our highest priority and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the red carpet for the Cable Hall of Fame celebration next spring at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York.”

Cable Center CEO Jana Henthorn said the organization has been closely monitoring COVID-19 news and guidelines, which helped it make the decision to postpone the event to next year.   

“We are eager to celebrate our 2020 honorees and gather with the industry on April 29, 2021,” Henthorn said in a press release.

The Cable Center said it has decided to reschedule its 23rd annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration to the fall, due to the ongoing spread of the coronavirus.

The Hall of Fame was originally expected to be held April 30 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York. The Center said it is postpoining the event “out of an abundance of caution for public health,” adding that a new date for the gala will be announced soon.

“The health and safety of our Cable Hall of Fame attendees, honorees, and community is always our highest priority. Given the current situation, we believe the best decision is to reschedule our celebration for a later date,” said Cable Center CEO Jana Henthorn said in a press release. “We look forward to celebrating the 2020 honorees this fall, and express our gratitude for your understanding and continued support.”

This year’s event was set to honor seven new inductees -- CEO of Baker Media and co-founder of CNBC Bridget Baker; former Charter Communications EVP of IT Jim Blackley; Urban One founder and chairwoman Cathy Hughes; Urban One CEO and TV One chairman and CEO Alfred Liggins III; Marcus Cable founder and cable pioneer Jeff Marcus; Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson; and WarnerMedia News & Sports chairman and CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker. 

#coronavirus #COVID-19

The Cable Center named seven industry luminaries for its 2020 Cable Hall of Fame, tapping a wide range of industry executives who will be feted at its red carpet event on April 30 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York.

The honorees were chosen for the leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation in the cable media industry. Since 1998, 140 leaders have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 2020 inductees are:

• Bridget Baker, CEO, Baker Media Inc. and co-founder of CNBC
• Jim Blackley, advisor to the CEO at Charter Communications and former EVP of IT and Engineering;
• Cathy Hughes, founder and chairwoman of Urban One
• Alfred C. Liggins III, CEO of Urban One and chairman and CEO of TV One;
• Jeff Marcus, Cable pioneer and founder of Marcus Cable
• Dave Watson, president and CEO,Comcast Cable
• Jeff Zucker, chairman WarnerMedia News & Sports and president, CNN Worldwide.

“The 2020 Cable Hall of Fame class represents every facet of our industry. They have helped to change the entertainment world we now live in and continue to create new and innovative video consumption models,” said Penthera CEO and chairman of The Cable Center’s board of directors Michael Willner, in a press release.

“Our industry would not be the same without the significant contributions of the 2020 Cable Hall of Fame honorees. What an honor it will be to recognize them at our Cable Hall of Fame celebration on April 30,” said The Cable Center CEO Jana Henthorn in a press release.

For more information on the celebration and to secure sponsorships, visit www.cablehalloffame.com, or call 720-502-7513.

CNN Tonight anchor Don Lemon will host the 22nd Cable Hall of Fame celebration, slated or May 2 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.

Lemon will emcee the event, which will begin with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner and the induction ceremony honoring: Ellis Edits, Inc. president Leslie Ellis; former Turner Broadcasting System chairman and CEOPhil Kent; Comcast SVP customer experience Kyle McSlarrow; Advance/Newhouse CEO Steve Miron; MTV, founding creators – Mark Booth, Tom Freston, Judy McGrath, Bob Pittman, Fred Seibert, and John Sykes; and C-SPAN president and co-CEOs Susan Swain and Rob Kennedy. The Bresnan Ethics in Business Award will also be presented posthumously to James O. Robbins.

“We are thrilled to welcome Don as this year’s Cable Hall of Fame master of ceremonies,” said The Cable Center president and CEO Jana Henthorn in a press release. “The Cable Hall of Fame is only a couple of weeks away, and we can’t wait to welcome all of our industry friends and associates as we gather to salute our honorees.”

Lemon joined CNN in September 2006 and also serves as a correspondent across CNN/U.S. programming. He has won an Edward R. Murrow award for his coverage of the capture of the Washington, D.C. snipers, anan Emmy for a special report on real estate in Chicagoland and various other awards for his reporting on the AIDS epidemic in Africa and Hurricane Katrina. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Brooklyn College, where he earned a degree in broadcast journalism.

The 22nd annual Cable Hall of Fame is sponsored by Carlsen Resources; CommScope, Inc.; Anna and John J. Sie Foundation; Charter Communications; Shaw Communications; ARRIS; Advance; Discovery, Inc.; Cablefax; Multichannel News; FierceVideo; Cynopsis; Light Reading; and Vision Graphics.

The Cable Center has announced that late former Cox Communications CEO Jim Robbins will receive the 2019 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.

The award recognizes former Bresnan Communications founder and chairman and longtime Cable Center chairman, Bill Bresnan. The award will be presented at the 22nd annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration May 2 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York.

Robbins served as Cox CEO for a decade and was long known as a pioneer in the industry. He retired in 2005 and died in October 2007 at the age of 65 after a brief battle with cancer.

Related: Friend, Fighter and Visionary

“Jim embodied the spirit of the Bresnan Ethics in Business Award,” C-SPAN executive chairman and chairman of the Bresnan Award selection committee, Brian Lamb in a statement. “He held a passion for the cable industry, commitment to excellence and was dedicated to the success of Cox Communications and its employees. We are honored to recognize him with this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.”

Related: Robbins Helped Lead an Industry 

Robbins joined Cox in 1983, was named president in 1985 and became CEO in 1995. During Robbins’ tenure, Cox quadrupled its size and led the industry on many issues, including sports rights. He retired from Cox at the end of 2005. Following his retirement, he was elected a member of the Cox Enterprises board of directors.

“Jim was such a positive influence in our industry and personally to so many of us at Cox,” current Cox president Patrick Esser said in a statement. “There was no one like him and hardly a day goes by that someone doesn’t recount a Jim anecdote or special memory. He led the company to great success, but it is how he led that we remember most. To employees, customers, and colleagues, he was always genuine and giving and that’s what makes him so deserving of this recognition.”

Robbins served twice as chairman of the Internet & Television Association (NCTA) and won multiple awards, including the industry’s Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership. He is a member of the Cable Hall of Fame class of 2006. He was also a veteran, serving as a destroyer line officer and a gunboat flotilla public affairs officer during two tours of duty with the U.S. Navy in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967.

“Jim’s commitment to excellence in customer service was exceptional, he was a mentor and friend to so many in our industry,” said The Cable Center CEO Jana Henthorn in a statement. “We are delighted to remember Jim and his legacy with this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.”

The Bresnan Ethics in Business award was created in 2011 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 recipients include former Continental Cablevision founder Amos B. Hostetter, Jr., former National Cable & Telecommunications CEO and Landmark Communications president Decker Anstrom; former CableVision Industries chief Alan Gerry and Lamb. Last year’s winner was former National Cable Television Association executive June Travis. 

Since 1998, 133 leaders have been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. For more information on the celebration and to secure sponsorships, visit ww.cablehalloffame.com, or call 720-502-7513.

The Cable Center has announced its Hall of Fame class of 2019, an eclectic list of men and women who have made their respective marks on the cable industry over the past several years. The honorees will be inducted during the 22nd annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration, held on May 2 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.

The honorees were chosen for their leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation in media. Since 1998, 133 leaders have been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. The 2019 honorees are:

• Leslie Ellis, president, Ellis Edits Inc. and longtime technology contributor for Multichannel News.
• Phil Kent, former chairman and CEO, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
• Kyle McSlarrow, SVP, customer experience, Comcast.
• Steve Miron, CEO, Advance/Newhouse.
• MTV, Founding Creators.
• Susan Swain and Rob Kennedy, president and co-CEOs, C-SPAN.

“The 2019 Cable Hall of Fame class represents leaders from some of the industry’s most innovative and groundbreaking companies and includes our first cable TV network, MTV. As a cultural icon whose impact on music and cable is unrivaled, it will be our pleasure to honor MTV’s founding creators,” said Penthera Partners president and CEO and Cable Center board chairman Michael Willner in a statement. “The red carpet will shine bright for this year’s Cable Hall of Fame celebration at the extraordinary Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York.”

The Ziegfeld Ballroom is home to the Cable Hall of Fame through at least 2020.

“The members of this year’s Cable Hall of Fame class have all had an immeasurable impact on the cable industry. We are thrilled to be returning to the Ziegfeld Ballroom and New York City for the Cable Hall of Fame celebration and are looking forward to recognizing all of our new honorees on May 2,” said The Cable Center CEO Jana Henthorn in a statement.

For more information on the celebration and to secure sponsorships, visit www.cablehalloffame.com, or call 720-502-7513.

The Cable Center announced its 2018 Cable Hall of Fame class, a list of industry luminaries from the cable programming and operations  sectors that will be inducted during the 21st annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration on April 4 at New York City’s Ziegfeld Ballroom.

RELATED: Cable Center picks NYC site for Hall of Fame ceremonies

The honorees are: 

• Nomi Bergman, Senior Executive, Advance/Newhouse
• John Bickham, President and Chief Operating Officer, Charter Communications
• Jarl Mohn, President and CEO, NPR
• Richard Plepler, Chairman & CEO, HBO
• Neil Smit, Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation

The honorees were chosen based on their leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation in media. Since 1998, 127 leaders have been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame.

“We are thrilled to roll out the red carpet for our 2018 inductees at our first Cable Hall of Fame celebration in New York at the phenomenal Ziegfeld Ballroom,” said Penthera Partners CEO and chairman of The Cable Center’s board of directors Michael Willner in a statement “This year’s honorees are some of the most respected leaders in our industry, and they have helped to shape the face of cable for future generations.”

The ceremony will be held at the recently renovated Ziegfeld Ballroom, which opened this fall in the former Ziegfeld Theater building. The Ziegfeld hosted Hollywood's top blockbuster movie premieres for decades, earning acclaim as one of the most celebrated venues in the world. The Ziegfeld Ballroom will be the home for the Cable Hall of Fame through at least 2020.

“The dedication, hard work and entrepreneurial spirit shown by this year’s inductees has helped to guide the successful development of our industry. We look forward to honoring this stellar class on April 4,” said The Cable Center CEO Jana L. Henthorn in a statement

For more information on the celebration and to secure sponsorships, visit www.cablehalloffame.com, or call 720-502-7513.