Mediacom’s ‘Heart’ Retires After Five Decades in Cable
We were still waving goodbye to WBD chief David Zaslav when news hit that longtime Mediacom powerhouse Italia Commisso Weinand is retiring after 50 years in the cable industry. Commisso Weinand joined her brother, the late Rocco Commisso, as Mediacom’s third employee after he founded the company in 1996. He often referred to her as “the heart of Mediacom.”
Small in stature but commanding in presence, she spent years railing against rising programming costs, serving most recently as Mediacom’s EVP, Programming and HR. That dual title was especially fitting for a woman who was equally likely to give you her unfiltered opinion as to make you homemade tomato sauce. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she guided Mediacom’s move to remote work, retraining and repurposing retail employees during lockdowns and avoiding layoffs.
She helped establish continuing education as part of Mediacom’s employee development programs and was a fierce advocate for others, particularly working women. She was one of the first members of The WICT Network and navigated the corporate world while raising her deaf son John, who is now part of Mediacom’s IT department.
Her 50-year tenure included time at Times Mirror Cable, TCI and Comcast, along with just about every award available—from Cable Hall of Fame induction to The WICT Network’s Woman of the Year honor to Comcast’s first-ever Manager of the Year, plus several Cablefax awards.
“My father, Rocco, was immensely proud of Italia, not only for everything she accomplished professionally, but also for the commitment, loyalty and heart she brought to Mediacom from its earliest days,” Mediacom Chairman/CEO Giuseppe B. Commisso said. “As his sister, she meant so much to him personally, and as one of his closest and most trusted partners, she played an important role in helping him build the company he envisioned.” Commisso Weinand will continue to serve on Mediacom’s board and on the boards of JMCC Corporation, The Cable Center, the CTAM Educational Foundation and the Emma Bowen Foundation.