Patricia Jo Boyers
By | November 1, 2013
President/CEO BOYCOM Cablevision
Patricia Jo Boyers (along with her husband, Steven) co-founded Missouri-based BOYCOM Cablevision, which consists of six headends, in 1992. She has served as board director for the American Cable Association and last April testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on rural broadband deployment to bring attention to BOYCOM’s efficiency in combining fiber and wireless. “I love being involved in the decision-making process for our industry and representing the rural areas of our country,” Boyers says.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
The favorite part of my job is the political/legislative side. I love being involved in the decision-making process for our industry and representing the rural areas of our country. My post as a board director with ACA, the American Cable Association, gives my voice validity.
What’s been the biggest story in cable this year?
I would say that for us, the biggest story of the year is the increased scrutiny by congress and acceptance, in light of the CBS-Time Warner Cable retrans fiasco, that reform efforts are needed to outdated retransmission consent rules. I would say the second biggest story (I know, you didn’t ask for this one-so it’s a freebie!) for us is the increased scrutiny by Congress on the rising cost of sports and lack of choice and increased rates suffered by consumers, which is why we were very happy to see Senators McCain and Blumenthal introduce their bill on more programming choice for consumers. We think this is a dialogue that is necessary and whose time has come!
How do you define success in the workplace?
My definition of success in the workplace, (after more than 30 years) is still being able to turn the key in our front door and be open for business! No, really, it is a dramatic challenge to small, rural operators-especially in our neck of the woods. We have a unique set of problems-both regulatory and marketplace. My definition would be the successful balance of providing quality broadband, telephony, and video content to our customers while maintaining a price point they can afford-especially in the most rural areas of Southeast Missouri.
Best trick for maintaining the personal-professional life balance?
Being married to your best friend…and the Chairman of the Board of Directors! It really comes in handy during tough negotiations!
Who would you want to swap jobs with for a month and why?
I would love to swap jobs with President Obama for a month (or more)! I truly believe that a woman: who has balanced her personal budget AND her business budget successfully for 34 years; a woman who has run a business successfully with her husband-(that means signing the bottom of payroll checks-not just the back of them for 34 years and who has actually gotten a second mortgage on our personal home in order for those payroll checks to clear!); a woman who’s only son is actively serving this great country in harm’s way through five deployments-(which brings a totally different perspective to anyone’s mindset); a woman who, with the guidance and the grace of God, her family and wonderful teammates has managed to be successful “not because of our government-but in spite of it”. Such a woman could make headway in beginning to straighten up the mess in Washington, D.C., and get our country back on the right track.
