NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. – Each year the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance honours their member and supplier of the year during their annual conference and in 2009, the winners are Mascon Cable, and Fox Cable Networks.
Mascon has been serving British Columbia’s Shuswap and Thompson Okanagan regions for 25 years and company leaders like Darren Muloin and Craig Mackay have been very active within the Alliance. CCSA president and CEO Alyson Townsend called Mascon “a pragmatic and enthusiastic voice for small systems.”
The supplier of the year is represented in Canada by a man whom just about everyone in the industry calls a friend, Hawley Chester. With Speed, Speed HD and new this year, the Big Ten Network, Chester has been busy signing deals and launching channels (and if you see him, wish him well. He had bypass surgery earlier in the year).
Townsend lauded Chester for his “willingness to go the extra mile” for his cable partners and how Fox has been a “generous supporter” of CCSA and other industry events.
The CCSA also recognized two industry pioneers as well (both of whom are getting on in years…), Mountain Cable’s Owen Boris and Seaside Cable’s Irving Schwartz.
The two entrepreneurs have contributed much to the cable industry and while one recently sold his well-respected Hamilton system which provided 41,000 people with the triple play (Boris), the other’s (Schwartz) system continues providing digital cable, phone and high speed Internet to the people of Cape Breton Island.
We’re unlikely to see their ilk (risk-takers, customer-centric, stubborn, tough, loyal, or pick your own adjective) again…
– Greg O’Brien
