1 month ago
Joseph J. Collins, a starring cable executive arsenic nan pay-TV level became a ascendant portion of nan media manufacture successful nan late-20th century, has died. He was 81.
A family typical said Collins died April 2 astatine his location successful Weekapaug, RI, of unspecified causes.
Collins held elder exec posts astatine Time Warner Cable, Comcast and different foundational players successful nan cablegram ecosystem. In 1984, he was appointed president of HBO.
Later, arsenic president and CEO of American Television and Communications, Collins shepherded a merger pinch Time Warner Cable, serving arsenic CEO of nan mixed entity. The stint astatine ATC was his second, pursuing an earlier 1 opening successful 1972 erstwhile he became trading head successful Orlando, FL, and culminating a decade later pinch him being named president.
Collins’s profession covered a play erstwhile early cablegram operators positioned themselves to go broadband providers. TWC, whose systems are now portion of Charter Communications, was among nan early investors successful broadband infrastructure. A modern of better-known manufacture figures for illustration John Malone, Collins was wide credited pinch advancing hybrid fiber-coaxial architecture, nan method backbone for high-speed cablegram internet.
Born successful Troy, NY, successful 1944, Collins graduated from Brown University and went connected to gain an MBA from Harvard Business School. Between those degrees, he served successful nan United States Navy, reaching nan rank of lieutenant and earning nan Vietnam Combat Action Ribbon for his work during nan Vietnam War.
Jeff Bewkes, erstwhile CEO of Time Warner, which owned a controlling liking successful Time Warner Cable until shedding it successful beforehand of Charter’s 2014 takeover, saluted Collins successful a connection shared by nan precocious exec’s family.
“Joe was instrumental successful building nan first cablegram systems, upgrading them to present hundreds of channels, past video connected demand, and yet nan broadband streaming and net apps that we each usage each time now,” Bewkes said. “His penetrating intelligence and matter-of-fact manner, coupled pinch his imposing beingness stature, could beryllium intimidating connected first impression. But each of america who were fortunate to activity pinch Joe knew him arsenic kind, considerate and 1 of nan funniest barren wits around.” Bewkes noted nan industry’s unanimous esteem for Collins, adding “and nary of them get along.”
Collins was a laminitis and nan president of C-SPAN, chaired manufacture tech statement CableLabs, led nan committee of board astatine Comcast and served connected nan boards of Turner Broadcasting and TriStar Pictures. While connected nan Turner board, he helped spearhead its game-changing merger pinch Time Warner. He was recognized pinch galore manufacture honors and was inducted into nan Cable Center Hall of Fame successful 2001.
Collins lived for galore years successful Darien, CT, and later divided his clip betwixt Weekapaug and Jupiter Island, FL.
He is survived by his woman of 54 years, Maura McManman Collins; his children, Maura Farley Lucke, Elizabeth Dempsey Fitton, Joseph Jameson Collins Jr. and Kathryn “Tryn” Collins; and 11 grandchildren.
A ceremonial work is planned for April 13 successful Rhode Island.
