Rocco Commisso

Title: Chairman/CEO, Mediacom

Years in Cable: 26Education: BS, MBA, Columbia

Why Him? Yeah, we’d say Commisso’s had a banner year. If you’re looking for the personification of the American Dream, look no further than this outspoken cable veteran. After taking Mediacom public in 2000 and building it to become the eighth largest cable operator in the country, this spring he bought back whole ownership of the company. With the Cable Center 2011 Hall of Fame honoree holding the reins of his company, which serves 1.3 million customers primarily in small cities in 22 states, he is focusing on building out advanced digital services and speaking out to keep down the cost of content.

Year Ahead: Anyone who can maneuver such a smooth transition of power gets our thumbs up.