Johnson led Cable One’s digital transformation over the past year, driving the launch of multi-gig internet service in its Sparklight-branded markets, and laid the groundwork to launch speeds as fast as 10 Gigabits (10G) and beyond, creating new possibilities for smart cities, connected homes, virtual and augmented reality, and business. A 30-year-plus industry veteran, Johnson empowers his team members by encouraging autonomy and providing opportunities for professional development. His commitment to cultivating talent within the company has led to increased engagement and a highly skilled and motivated workforce.
Was Charter’s Disney deal precedent setting? Yes, the Charter-Disney deal was precedent setting in the sense that content owners have been moving prime content to their streaming platforms for a few years now and still expecting cable customers to continue to pay escalating rates for the remaining content they receive over traditional cable. The Charter deal blends streaming with traditional cable to provide consumers the best content, regardless of where the content comes from – streaming or traditional video. It ensures that as popular content such as ESPN goes to streaming, their customers will continue to have access to this content at no additional charge.
What’s your position on Stanley cups (not the NHL kind)? I am constantly amazed at how much social media impacts our lives. The Stanley cup frenzy is a great example. It is just an insulated cup—there are many perfectly good insulated cups on the market, but this one became the must- have item over the last half of 2023. My grandchildren all wanted one for Christmas! I am not particularly brand driven and spend little time on social media so to me an insulated cup is just an insulated cup and not a lifestyle brand choice. I am such a boomer!
What emerging industry trend are you most excited by and why? The industry trend I am most excited about is the refocus on the customer as a competitive differentiator. The emergence of AI/ML powered predictive analytics to proactively identify issues with service and anticipate the needs of the customer has really supercharged our ability to improve the customer experience and exceed their expectations.
What celebrity would you hire for your company and why? I would love to have Michael Rowe from Dirty Jobs represent our industry. He represents so many of the values we hold dear and has a lot of fun doing what he does. I think he would really resonate with both our customers and associates.
Favorite way to destress? When I am feeling stressed, I love to go to the gym and get a good sweat going to clear my mind.
Fast food guilty pleasure: I love to sneak away for lunch occasionally and get a Sonic cheeseburger with tots and a Reese’s Blast.