Cablefax The Magazine - July 2012 - 21

2012 Top Ops Awards
CABLE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Leslie H. Read
Executive Director,
Cable Pioneers
Ambassador, The Cable Center
When Les Read looks back on his
40-year career in cable, he mostly
remembers mentors like cable
legend Irving Kahn and other " cowboys "
of that era. But something
else strikes him as well: How much
they all just made it up as they went. " We had no idea where
we were going because there was no book to follow, " says the
cable veteran. " We were writing the book. " Those early years as
an operator in which he helped Kahn build Teleprompter Corp
from 23 to 120 cable systems were quite formative for Read. " It
was just incredible what was going on from coast to coast, " he
says. " It was mind-boggling to have that growth and potential...
In your life, if you have an opportunity to have a rocket ride,
you'll have a great, great time. I've had two rocket rides. "
The other one, of course, was HBO, which Read helped
build from its humble beginnings into multi-billion-dollar powerhouse
that these days brings us everything from big Hollywood
movies to original series like " Game of Thrones " and " Curb
Your Enthusiasm. " Now affectionately known as " Mr. HBO " for
his many years there (he retired in 2001), Read led road shows
around the country in the '70s and '80s to sing the praises of
Fast Facts
✦ The Cable Center appointed Read its " ambassador " in 2002.
✦Read began his cable and broadcast career as a page at NBC
in New York in 1958.
✦Raised in Great Neck, Long Island, Read is a past president of
the New York Cable TV Association.
premium TV. He racked up more than 2 million frequent fl yer
miles in the process. " I became the weekend warrior, " he says.
" I've played more damned little towns than any Vaudevillian
you've ever thought of... One weekend we sold 24,000 screens
of either HBO or Cinemax. That's a hell of a lot of doors to
knock on, but we were doing those shows every weekend. "
Of course, it wasn't always easy to convince operators that
subscribers would love paying for this new satellite-delivered
premium service. " The cable guys would get more excited
about the O-ring that would hold a matching transformer on the
cable than the fact that they suddenly had a movie service, " he
says. And then there was the touchy matter of bringing unsanitized,
R-rated movies into customers' homes-a groundbreaking
and controversial concept at the time. HBO even tried to
allay operators' concerns with a short-lived Take Two network
that stripped out the R-rated fare. " The problem is nobody
bought it, " he says. That was a lesson for the entire industry-
and premium nets remain uncensored to this day.
Read still credits the late Kahn, who died in 1994, as one
of his biggest infl uencers and someone he calls " the guru
of all times " because of his pioneering work to get the cable
industry off the ground. " He was the most fascinating guy
because he was always 6 steps ahead of you, " recalls Read,
who honors the legacy of those many cable cowboys as executive
director of the Cable Pioneers. The Cable Center Pres/
CEO Larry Satkowiak counts Read as a mentor and recalls
that he introduced him to the group. " His passion for the cable
industry and the people who built it is unmatched, " he says.
" I feel fortunate to count him as a friend and a colleague. "
Adds Diane Christman, The Cable Center's SVP, Marketing
and Development: " Les knows everyone and has generously
extended these relationships to include The Cable Center. " So
it's perhaps fi tting that Read's advice for young execs trying
to move up the ranks comes down to nurturing those very
relationships. " It's the people who really make it happen, " he
says. " There's an old saying that you're only as good as your
Rolodex. The key is to stay in touch with people. You've got to
stay on top of the wake or else you'll drown. "
As for Read, he's a strong swimmer. And he'll always be
Mr. HBO. ✴
- Michael Grebb
CableFAX: The Magazine
July 2012
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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2012

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