Cablefax The Magazine - July 2012 - 20

2012 Top Ops Awards
MSO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Robert Miron
Bright House Networks
It's been a year and a half
since Bob Miron retired as
chairman of Bright House,
but with more than 44
years in cable, his impact
is still being felt.
Power Couple: Robert Miron
with his wife Diane.
" Bob was the quiet force
behind two generations
of industry titans. They all
sought his counsel and
usually followed his unbiased, unambiguous points of
view. Why? Because no one doubted his motivation-to
make the industry the very best it could be, " said former
Insight CEO Michael Willner.
These days, Miron is spending more time traveling and
with family, but he hasn't completely disappeared from
cable. After all, he's on the boards for Discovery and CSPAN.
But the pace is defi nitely different. In May, he made
an appearance at the Cable Pioneers and Hall of Fame
dinners and hit the Cable Show fl oor for a little bit, instead
of the frenzied schedule to which senior execs have grown
accustomed during the trade show.
" It's nice to do what you want to do. That is what retirement
is, " Miron told us. " You do what you want to do
when you want to do it. You face a choice in life. Do you
want to work until you die or do you want to do something
else? And my family, they usually work until they die, and I
didn't want to sign up for that. If I had worked a few more
years, I would have been on that path. "
Miron has been with Bright House and its predecessor
companies since their beginning, joining in 1966 and assuming
the CEO post in 1974. Today, the company is led by son
Steve and daughter Nomi Bergman. And Miron makes it clear
that it's their show. " I am not involved in running Bright House
or in talking with Steve or Nomi every other day and giving
them advice. That doesn't happen, " he said.
When you chat with Miron, you get the clear impression
Fast Facts
✦ Miron started his career at Newhouse Broadcasting in 1958.
✦ He's a graduate of Syracuse University, where he now
serves on its Board of Trustees.
✦ Miron served as NCTA's board chairman twice, in 19891990
and 1997-1998.
✦ Miron retired from Bright House in December of 2010.
that he is enjoying retirement. But you also are quick to realize
that he's proud-as he should be-of his cable legacy. When
asked about his professional accomplishments, he talked
about building Bright House from a small cable company with
a couple thousand subscribers to more than 2mln today as
well as his involvement with Discovery and C-SPAN. Cable
can also thank Miron for his infl uence in customer service,
where he pushed for on-time guarantees and customer service
rules. And then there's local programming. " I pushed our
company into local news, and during the Time Warner days, I
was very involved in the starting of the local news channels, "
he said. " [Charles] Dolan did a great job at it, and I think I did
as well. And it's a good thing for the industry. "
Just how much the industry appreciates Miron can be
seen by his list of accolades: a Leadership Vanguard,
the inaugural Bresnan Ethics in Business award, CTAM's
Grand Tam, Broadcasting & Cable's Hall of Fame, ACC's
President award and so on.
" It's a good feeling to know that your peers think well
enough of you to give you some of these awards, " he said.
" I'm shocked that I'm still getting an award, but it's always
nice to be recognized. It's good that people feel I've made
an impact on the industry. That's a good feeling. "
On a parting note, here's a Mironism for those hoping to
follow in his footsteps: " Always think strategically. Don't think
for the short-term; operate the company for the long-term. " ✴
- Amy Maclean
20
cablefaxmag.com
July 2012
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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2012

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