The Cable TV Pioneers will welcome 21 new members as part of its 58th annual banquet this September in Atlanta.

The 2024 Cable TV Pioneers Class class reflects an accomplished group of content and service providers, CEOs, sales execurtives, operators and other industry leaders, according to the organization. Among those set to be fêted during the banquet, which will take place September 23 at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, are A+E Networks executive VP and head of global FAST channels Mark Garner and Comcast executive VP and general counsel Lynn Charytan. 

“Each year we have the privilege to announce a new class of outstanding men and women whose industry and community accomplishments keep our business evolving and growing,” Cable Pioneers chair Yvette Kanouff said in a statement. 

Also Read: Meet the 2023 Class of Cable TV Pioneers

Pioneers vice chairman Jim Gleason added: “Our 58th Induction will be the pinnacle of acknowledging the epic contributions of these inductees, while honoring the pioneering spirit of the past innovators. This is a terrific addition to the Cable Tv Pioneers.” 

The 2024 class of Cable TV Pioneers, with company affiliations as reported by the organization, is as follows:

• Amy Blair, Liberty Global
• Bruce McClelland, Ribbon Communications
• Charles Cheevers, Vantiva
• Dan Whalen, ATX Networks
• David Del Beccaro, Music Choice
• Elad Nafshi, Comcast
• George Taylor, Lightspeed Construction Group
• Heather McCallion, Breezeline
• Jim O'Brien, Jones Intercable (retired)
• Jan Ariesen, Technitix
• Jennifer Yohe, Altice USA
• John Higgins Jr., Charter
• Julie Laulis, Cable One
• Justin Colwell, Charter
• Lynn Charytan, Comcast
• Mark Garner, A+E Networks
• Bob Gaydos, Comcast
• Rori Peters, TV One (retired)
• Steve Raymond, Charter
• Todd Gorder, Comcast
• Weidong Mao, Comcast 

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.” ■

With vaccination levels approaching 70% of the adult population, several cable and broadcast conventions are planning on making the 2021 slate at least partly an in-person experience for the first time since 2019.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 66% of U.S. residents aged 18 and older have taken at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 57% are fully vaccinated. 

The National Association of Broadcasters is kicking off its NAB Show Oct. 9-13 in Las Vegas. Actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan is slated to perform live at the NAB Show Sunday Kick Off at 4:15 PST on Oct. 10.

“After a difficult year and unfortunate hiatus for the NAB Show, we look forward to celebrating the opening of the show floor with the ever talented and hilarious Jim Gaffigan,” NAB president and CEO Gordon Smith said in a press release. "His notoriously fun and entertaining performance is ideal for this momentous occasion as we reunite and re-engage in Las Vegas.”

Also as part of the event, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt anchor and award-winning journalist Lester Holt will be inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame on Oct. 11.

Like some other organizations, NAB was forced to move the dates for its 2021 confab because of the pandemic. The 2021 event was originally scheduled for April 11-14, but it was decided in September 2020 to move the event to October.

NAB has said it is going ahead still with the NAB Show in 2022 on April 23-27 in Las Vegas.

The Society of Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) Cable-TEC Expo will be held Oct. 11-14 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta and will be a hybrid in-person/virtual event, according to organizers. Last year’s Cable-TEC Expo broke records with more than 3,000 people attending the Opening General Session of the all-virtual event. 

The SCTE also said it will hold a joint forum linking the Cable-TEC Expo with the NAB Show’s Broadcast Engineering and Information Technology (BEIT) Conference in Las Vegas on Oct. 12. 

According to SCTE, joint sessions will include live, interconnected presentations and audience questions originating from both Cable-Tec Expo in Atlanta and the BEIT Conference in Las Vegas, with hosts at each location to field questions and moderate the conversations. The dual-site event will include live panels and interactive discussions that explore timely topics, such as dynamic ad insertion and NextGen TV.

Global marketing organization DPAA said it will hold its Video Everywhere Summit in-person at the Chelsea Piers in Manhattan on Oct. 12.

“Regions are opening up and it’s time for us to all reconnect in-person,” DPAA president and CEO Barry Frey said in a press release “After careful consideration and talking with members, brand and agency leadership we decided to hold this year’s Summit in-person as our community needs to reconnect in person.”

IBC, the big international content and technology convention in Amsterdam, is slated for an in-person gathering Dec. 3-6 at the RAI Amsterdam complex. The theme is Come Together Again.

The 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, which was all-digital in January 2021, is expected to be a hybrid in-person and virtual event, slated for Jan 5-8 in Las Vegas.

“We’re thrilled to return to Las Vegas – home to CES for more than 40 years – and look forward to seeing many new and returning faces,” Consumer Technology Association president Gary Shapiro said in a press release in April. “Hundreds of executives have told us how much they need CES to meet new and existing customers, find partners, reach media and discover innovation.”

As was reported earlier, The Cable Center’s induction ceremony for the 2021 class of Cable TV Pioneers will be held  on Oct. 11 in Atlanta, as part of the SCTE-Cable-TEC Expo.

The Cable Center’s 2021 Cable Hall of Fame celebration will be held virtually, on Oct. 20.

Industry veteran Ron Wolfe, most recently senior director of engineering & architecture at Charter Communications, died Nov. 25 in Aurora, Colorado after a month-long battle with COVID-19, according to his obituary. He was 63 years old.

Wolfe spent about 40 years in the cable industry -- his first job was as an installer for Warner Cable in Oshkosh, Wisconsin -- and was part of the upcoming 54th class of Cable Pioneers, which will be inducted in a virtual ceremony on CSPAN3 on Friday, Dec. 4. 

As director of plant engineering at ATC/Time Warner Cable, Wolfe supported Time Warner Cable’s national HFC deployment and later led network and systems integration and affiliate relations for @Home Network. He later moved to positions at Aurora Networks and BigBand Networks, joining Charter in 2014.

Wolfe was a member of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), serving on several national committees and the Rocky Mountain chapter board. He was named SCTE Member of the Year in 1992. 

Wolfe also was a dedicated community volunteer, working with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Susan G, Komen Foundation and the American Lung Association. At the time of his death he was in the early stages of founding a nonprofit aimed at helping at-risk youngsters who have lost their fathers.  

Wolfe is survived by his life partner Lisa Guess, his son Donald John Wolfe and his siblings Steve Wolfe (Beth Goodnight) – Sandpoint, Idaho; Barbara Dempsey – Minneapolis; and Sandi (Allan) Rapp – Millerstown, Pennsylvania. 

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, mourners make donations to Feeding America.

Cable TV Pioneers today (July 15) named 22 new members of the organization, while the group continues to work on an alternative induction ceremony after scrapping the usual banquet celebration due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The group said the new class "includes a wide spectrum of men and women from CEOs and company founders, to techs and trade execs who have and continue to contribute to the growth of our industry. Each has proven through their business contributions, community involvement and entrepreneurial success, their value as a Cable TV Pioneer."

The Pioneers had hoped to announce the 2020 class early in July and hold an alternative ceremony on Oct. 13, when the pre-pandemic plan was to meet at a black-tie dinner in Denver at the start of the Cable-Tec Expo. The engineers' gathering, though, was cancelled due to pandemic-related concerns. The Pioneers has not decided on what an alternative ceremony might look like, yet. 

Related Link: 2020 Diversity Week Events Go Virtual

“For the past 10 years, the new class induction has been a sold-out event, and while Covid-19 will make it impossible to hold our 54th banquet, the Pioneer managing board is working hard to create a celebration worthy of honoring this outstanding class,” Dave Fellows, the Pioneer chairman, said in today's statement, adding, “We are hoping to announce alternative plans shortly that will be exciting for our new members and our sponsors.”

Here are the new Cable TV Pioneers and their affiliation as cited by the group:

Jeff Berenson of ITV Partners LLC, Paul Broadhurst of Technetix Group, LTD, Rick Cimerman of NCTA: The Internet & Television Association, Robert Foote of KGP Co., Daniel Greiner of 4th Wave Technologies, Steve Kaplan of Multilink Inc., Craig Leddy of Interactive TV Works, Louise Mooney of JLM Partners, Ann Montgomery of Charter Communications, Daniel O'Brien of Mediashift Technologies, Elaine Partridge of Vast Broadband, Shane Portfolio of Comcast, Richard Prodan of Comcast, Joe Quane of EdgeConneX, Zak Raley of Amphenol Broadband Corp., Dick Rohm of Cable One (Sparklight), Jeff Ross of Armstrong Utilities, Peter Ruben of BMP Resources, Charles Segars of Ovation LLC, Gemma Toner of Tone Networks, John Williams of Charter Communications and Ronald Wolfe of Charter Communications.

The Cable TV Pioneers organization said Friday that it will choose a class of honorees, named by early July, and intends to have an induction celebration on Oct. 13 even though the SCTE-ISBE Cable-Tec Expo to which the ceremony had been linked was canceled. "The organization is studying a variety of options for the 54th Annual induction" which it intends to hold on Oct. 13 as previously announced, the group said in a statement. "As event details become formalized, they will share this information and news among members, sponsors, nominees and friends. In the meanwhile, the Cable TV Pioneers extends its appreciation to SCTE-ISBE and to all supporters while they organize another must-attend induction."

Related: SCTE Cancels 2020 Cable-Tec Expo

The engineering group's Expo was to take place at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver but it was canceled after it was learned the convention center would not be available during the week the Expo was scheduled. Colorado's governor, Jared Polis, said the convention center would keep its designation as a temporary medical facility throughout 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pioneers said "a new and exciting celebration" would be held "in lieu of the live, major banquet" that had been slated for the evening before the Expo began.

Donald Mathison, a long-time cable veteran who held senior positions at six early media conglomerates, died Feb. 7. He was 72 years old.

Mathison was a pioneer in the cable industry, serving in senior positions at Times Mirror, Providence Journal, Media General, Group W Broadcasting and Cable and Warner Communications. After Media General was sold to Cox Communications in 1999, Mathison, who had served as SVP of programming and marketing at Media General, founded cable consultant Broadband Solutions Group, which focuses on internet video, broadcasting and cable TV.

Mathison was named to The Cable Center’s Cable Pioneers in 1991. 

He is survived by his wife, Sandra "Sandy" Feldman; daughter, Nicole (Ed) Frankenberg; his son, Jason (Nicole) Mathison, Marc (Marla) Feldman; Jodi (Justin) Renert and his eight grandchildren, Nicholas, Abigail, Grant, Wade, Justin, Darren, Ryan, and Sienna. Services and shiva will be held Feb. 13 at the home of Mark and Marla Feldman at 7 p.m.

Leslie “Les” H. Read, an important fixture at cable events for years, and the well-loved and respected “voice” for the Cable Pioneers, died June 28 while recovering from a recent heart attack. He was 82 years old.

Anyone who has made the cable circuit over the past several decades has likely run into Read, a personable, knowledgeable and respected champion of the industry.

In a career that began in 1958 as a page at NBC in New York, Read retired from the cable business in 2001, but kept strong ties to the industry. He served as executive director of the Cable Pioneers, stepping down from that position in 2016 after being named executive director emeritus. He was succeeded as executive director by Jim Faircloth, but remained the “voice” of the Pioneers, serving as master of ceremonies at the organization’s annual banquet and welcoming each new member with his unique baritone. Read also served as board member of The Cable Center, a member of CTAM: The Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, and was a past president of the New York Cable TV Association.

“It is my sad duty to share the devastating news that our friend and colleague, Les Read, known to so many as ‘Mr. HBO’ who was loved by all in our industry, passed away last evening at 7:15 p.m. EDT on Long Island, NY, following treatment for a cardiac condition since last weekend,” Faircloth said in a statement. “You cannot even think of the Cable Pioneers without thinking of Les. Les’ rich baritone has been silenced, but for our memories and the recordings that will always be treasured. There will never be another like Les. We share our most heartfelt condolences and prayers with Les’ wife, Anne, and his entire family.”

Raised in Great Neck, Long Island, Read lived in Port Washington, N.Y. with his wife Anne. Information on services is pending.

Industry executives were quick to offer their reminiscences.

“Throughout his career – and even after he retired – Les Read was an ambassador who drew attention to everything that is good about our industry," said SCTE-ISBE president and CEO Mark Dzuban in a statement. "From his earliest days with TelePrompter and HBO to his work with CTAM, the Cable TV Pioneers and the Cable Center, Les devoted his energy to the advancement of cable and everybody with whom he worked.”

At The Cable Center, president and CEO Jana Henthorn offered her condolences to the Read family.

"Les made us all smile. He was immensely proud of the cable industry and his role in it," Henthorn said in a statement. "He knew everyone, had more stories than Mark Twain, and a great love for The Cable Center. Not only was he our official Ambassador, he was one of our great champions. Our sincerest condolences to Anne and the family.”

The Cable Center senior vice president of programs and development Diane Christman, remembered Read as a mentor and friend. 

“He’s the only person who still called me Kiddo!," Christman said in a statement. "Les was the first person I called when I started working at The Cable Center. He was an incredible guide and mentor. We would make the rounds at industry events together, and he introduced me to everyone and really helped me get my feet wet. He was funny, charismatic, larger than life. A true friend and mentor to me and so many others. My heart is broken, and I offer my condolences and love to Anne, the kids, and grandkids.”

After obtaining a business degree from Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., and a degree in speech/radio and television from Syracuse University, Read started his broadcast and cable career with  NBC in New York as a page. He later joined TelePrompter, serving with that company for 15 years selling services and in 1972 becoming vice president of TelePrompter’s CATV division, where he built and operated cable systems in Elmira, N.Y., Great Falls, Mont., and Farmington, N.M. He later developed new franchise areas as director of operations.

Read joined Home Box Office in February 1974 as manager, affiliate development and was later named director, Northeast region and then director, national accounts. In 1984, he became director, affiliate special projects and in 1998, he was promoted to vice president and remained in that role until his retirement in December 2001. Read worked with HBO's affiliate cable systems on special marketing campaigns and also served as an announcer during on-air promotions. 

The Cable TV Pioneers, which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary as a social organization honoring long-serving and accomplished executives and entrepreneurs in the industry, has named the 2017 class to be inducted at a banquet on Tuesday, Oct. 17, at The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.

The banquet is timed to the opening of the SCTE-ISBE Cable-Tec Expo at the Colorado Convention Center (Oct. 17-20). 

The class consists of 20 individuals -- 14 men and six women -- selected from what the group said was a record number of nominees.

Read more: Fifty Years of Cable Camaraderie

They are, in alphabetical order, with their affiliated companies as announced by the Pioneers:  

Tom Adams, Charter Communications      

Matthew Blank, Showtime Networks Inc.           

Steve Brett, General Communication Inc.     

Jack Bryant, ComSonics    

Cynthia Carpenter, Charter Communications        

John Chapman, Cisco         

Anne Cowan, CTAM         

Chris Dunkeson, Comcast Corp.      

Jana Fay, C-SPAN 

Charlotte Field, Charter Communications   

Tony Finger, CommScope  

James George, American Cable Services   

Tim Gropp, Arris    

Larry Hanson, Ambit Project Management           

Dale Hopkins, GSN           

Debra Lee, BET     

Sean McGrail, NESN         

Ron McMillan, Time Warner Cable (retired)        

Jay Vaughan, DSV Services   

Richard White, consultant

In making the announcement, Cable TV Pioneers chair Susan Bitter Smith said in a statement: “Just as our industry grows broader and more robust, so do the number of nominees for the Cable Pioneers. It’s obvious from this year’s class that our membership consists of men and women who make significant contributions to the growth of our industry and our communities.”

Dinner chair Dave Fellows said, “Change growth, and celebrating this year’s induction in Denver, prior to the annual SCTE-ISBE Cable-Tec Expo, is one of the many ways we are adapting and growing. We believe our 51st Banquet will have a significant attendance and provide sponsors with a wonderful opportunity to participate in one of the top events of the industry this year.”

Read more: Cable Pioneers: 50 Facts for 50 Years

Information on the upcoming banquet is at http://cabletvpioneers.com. (Interested sponsors can directly contact Lisza Gulyas at 303.527.2929 or lisza@vuconcepts.com.) Photos, articles and video of the 50th Anniversary celebrations are available at the site.

The Cable TV Pioneers was founded in 1966 during the NCTA convention in Miami, Fla. The original fledgling group of 21 entrepreneurs has grown to more than 700 men and women over the past 50 years. Photos, articles and video of the 50th Anniversary celebration and banquets as well as member rosters are available at the Pioneers site.