The Soldier

Name: Rocco Commisso
Title: Chairman/CEO, Mediacom
Age: 57

Why him? OK, so it wasn’t the best year for Rocco. Sinclair left him with a bruise. But we honor the colorful CEO for getting in the trenches and fighting a battle that affects the entire industry, including his larger peers. His retransmission consent war with Sinclair helped motivate NCTA to get off the sidelines and engage in the retrans debate—something it has been reluctant to do for years. Another reason Rocco remains high on our list: he’s not one to back down from a fight. Smarting from its Sinclair defeat, some might expect Mediacom to quickly broker a deal with Big Ten Network to stop possible further sub defections. It does operate in Hawkeye Country, after all. But Rocco has held his ground, offering to carry it only on a digital tier or sports package. Whatever the topic du jour, we can count on Rocco to be in the thick of things. And everyone who knows him realizes that he wears his passion for his company on his sleeve.  AM

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