The Cable Center said Wednesday that it has named former National Cable & Telecommunications CEO and president of Landmark Communications Decker Anstrom as the recipient of the 2015 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.
The award, named in honor of the late Bresnan Communications founder and chairman and long-time chairman of the Cable Center board William Bresnan, will be presented at the 18th annual Cable Hall of Fame Celebration, May 5 at the Chicago Navy Pier, in conjunction with the NCTA’s Internet and Television Expo (INTX).
“The Bresnan Ethics in Business Award is not only a wonderful honor, but also a very humbling one,” Anstrom said in a statement. “I loved and respected Bill so much - and the previous recipients have all been true giants of our industry.”
Anstrom joined the NCTA as executive vice president in 1987 and became president and CEO in 1994. During his tenure, he led the cable industry’s efforts that helped result in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In 1999, Anstrom joined The Weather Channel Companies (TWCC) in Atlanta, GA. as president and CEO. In 2002 he became president of Landmark Communications and in that position he also served as chairman of TWCC. He retired as president of Landmark Communications and chairman of The Weather Channel Companies in 2008, following Landmark’s sale of The Weather Channel to a group including NBC Universal.
He currently serves on the board of directors of Discovery Communications, as well as on the boards of several non-profit environmental groups including the Island Press, Climate Central, and Planet Forward. He also serves as chairman of the Board for the National Environmental Education Foundation and the Institute for Educational Leadership.
“Decker’s leadership has helped to shape our industry into the thriving, innovating business it is today,” said retired chairman and chief executive officer, Bright House Networks, and chairman of the Bresnan Award selection committee Bob Miron in a statement. “His commitment to public service and philanthropy is unrivaled, and we are delighted to honor him with the Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.”
Prior to his positions at Landmark, Anstrom had a long career in public service and in the communications industry. During the Carter administration, he was a senior staff member in the White House Office of Management and Budget, working on the creation of the U.S. Department of Education. He also served in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel and was president of Public Strategies, a Washington-based public policy consulting firm.
Anstrom also served as U.S. Ambassador and Head of the U.S. Delegation to the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12), held under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union. WRC-12 was a treaty conference involving 150 nations that considered international and regional spectrum allocations that support satellite, mobile and other wireless services.
In addition, Anstrom has served on numerous cable industry boards, including NCTA, which he chaired for two years, and Comcast Corporation, where he chaired the Governance Committee. He is a member of the Cable Hall of Fame and has also received numerous industry awards including the Vanguard for Leadership Award.
“On behalf of The Cable Center, I am honored to recognize Decker with this year’s Bresnan Ethics in Business Award,” said Cable Center CEO Larry Satkowiak in a statement. “His leadership on so many important issues in the cable industry and his involvement in the community are testaments to his dedication and commitment to ethics in business.”
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.
Past awardees include Miron, former CableVision Industries founder and Alan Gerry, C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb and A+E Networks CEO emeritus Nick Davatzes.
