The Cable Center said Alan Gerry has been named the 2012 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award recipient.
He will be presented the industry award, honoring the late William J. Bresnan, founder and chairman of Bresnan Communications and long-time chairman of the board of The Cable Center, at the Cable Hall of Fame Celebration, May 21, at the Marriott at Copley Place in Boston, in conjunction with The Cable Show 2012.
Gerry, chairman and CEO of Granite Associates L.P., and chairman of the Gerry Foundation, is a pioneering entrepreneur in the industry.
The first Bresnan award, given last year, went to retired Bright House Networks chairman Robert Miron.
Gerry was the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Cablevision Industries Corporation, growing the business from a small television sales and repair shop in rural Liberty, NY, to the largest privately held cable company in the country, serving more than 1.3 million subscribers in 18 states, when he sold it to Time Warner in 1996.
Gerry currently serves as chairman and CEO of Granite Associates, L.P., a diversified investment company that is active in telephony and communications and has helped many startup Internet companies go public. He contributes his talents and experience to many industry organizations, including CablePAC and The Entrepreneur's Club, and has been the recipient of numerous awards and citations, including the Vanguard Award; Entrepreneur-of-the-Year Award for the New England Chapter of the Institute of American Entrepreneurs; Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America; and the Americanism Award from the Anti-Defamation League. He was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2000.
"It is a real honor to be recognized with the Bresnan Ethics in Business Award," Gerry said in a Cable Center release. "Bill was a treasured colleague and friend, and I truly admired his dedication to this industry and the ideals he upheld in his business life."
"Alan is one of the cable industry's most pioneering spirits," Nick Davatzes, retired chief executive officer, A&E Television Networks, and chairman of the Bresnan Award selection committee, said in the release. "His leadership and innovative ideas have helped to shape our industry. His commitment to philanthropic outreach and dedication to so many communities was another major factor in his selection. It is a pleasure to honor him with the Bresnan Ethics in Business 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. 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. An exhibit honoring the award recipients is on permanent display at The Cable Center.
"We are thrilled to recognize Alan with the Bresnan Ethics in Business Award," said Larry Satkowiak, President and CEO, The Cable Center. "His hard work and entrepreneurial spirit have helped to foster the cable industry's rapid growth and technological evolution, and he continues to give his time and talents to help grow and mentor fledgling companies."
The Cable Center will host its 15th annual Cable Hall of Fame Celebration during The Cable Show 2012, in Boston, May 21-23, 2012. The Cable Hall of Fame is sponsored by Rogers Communications, Viacom, and BET Networks. For more information on the Cable Hall of Fame Celebration, visit www.cablehalloffame.com.
