To Be Presented During 2022 Cable Hall of Fame Celebration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2022
DENVER – The Cable Center announced today that the late Bill Daniels, a cable television pioneer and founder of the Daniels Fund, has been named the 2021 Bresnan Award recipient and Pat Esser, former President and CEO of Cox Communications, has been named the 2022 recipient. 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, 2022, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.
“On behalf of the Daniels Fund, I am honored to accept this award for Bill Daniels,” said Hanna Skandera, President and CEO, Daniels Fund. “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.”
“I am thrilled to accept the Bresnan Award,” said Pat Esser. “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.”
“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,” said Michael Willner, Chairman and CEO of Penthera Partners and Chairman of The Cable Center’s Board of Directors. “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 spirt was at the core of its growth and success. We are honored to recognize both Bill and Pat.”
Bill Daniels was a born entrepreneur, widely considered one of the great business visionaries of the twentieth century and one of the earliest pioneers in the cable industry. Daniels’ company, Daniels & Associates, brokered many of the deals that shaped the industry, and his leadership attracted many technology and communications companies to Denver, making it the recognized “cable capital of the world.”
Daniels was also a dedicated 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 Daniels’ legacy of compassion and generosity across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through grants, scholarships, and an ethics initiative.
Pat Esser held the top executive position at Cox since 2006, retiring December 31, 2021. During his leadership tenure, 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 Multichannel News.
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.
“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,” said Diane Christman, President and CEO, The Cable Center. “We are delighted to honor them with the Bresnan Award.”
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, and demonstrating societal, community, and philanthropic engagement.
The 25th annual Cable Hall of Fame returns to the Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 15, 2022.
For more information on the celebration and to secure sponsorships, visit www.cablehalloffame.com, or call 720-502-7513.
About The Cable Center
The Cable Center is an educational nonprofit serving the connectivity industry that advances future innovation by helping organizations develop connectivity innovators from within. Through our Intrapreneurship Academy, we enable companies to drive business growth by channeling the entrepreneurial drive of their greatest source of inspiration – their people. Our programs, expertise, and opportunity instill the leadership of our industry’s original innovators to empower a new generation of bold thinkers. Based in Denver, Colorado, The Cable Center is also the home of the Cable Hall of Fame, recognizing individuals for their outstanding contributions to the industry’s progress; and the Barco Library, the world’s largest collection of cable-related information and resources.
Visit www.syndeoinstitute.org for more information.
About The Cable Hall of Fame Celebration
The industry’s best networking event, the Cable Hall of Fame honors leaders in connectivity, content, and media who have made a lasting contribution to the advancement of the industry. The official Cable Hall of Fame hashtag is #CableHOF.
For more information, visit www.cablehalloffame.com or call 720-502-7513
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For more information, contact:
Geneva Rodriguez, Syndeo Institute
Email: grodriguez@cablecenter.org | Office: 720.502.7533
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