Mediacom Announces Retirement of Italia Commisso Weinand After 50 Years in the Cable Industry

Executive Vice President of Programming and Human Resources will continue to serve on Mediacom’s Board of Directors

MEDIACOM PARK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Giuseppe B. Commisso, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mediacom Communications Corporation, announced the retirement of Italia Commisso Weinand as Executive Vice President of Programming and Human Resources, following a distinguished 50-year career in the cable industry. Commisso Weinand, who joined Mediacom in 1996 as its third employee, will continue to serve on the company’s Board of Directors.

Commisso Weinand began her cable career at Manhattan Cable (Time Inc.) and later held positions at Times Mirror Cable, TCI and Comcast. While at Comcast, she received the company’s first “Manager of the Year” award.

“Italia has been a trusted leader and an extraordinary steward of Mediacom’s people, culture and values since our earliest days,” said Giuseppe B. Commisso. “On behalf of the entire Mediacom family, I thank her for decades of leadership, dedication and service. Her contributions have helped shape who we are today. 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. 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. My mother and I share that same pride in Italia and in the extraordinary legacy she has created over a remarkable career.”

Working alongside her brother, Mediacom founder Rocco B. Commisso, Commisso Weinand helped build the company around his vision of bringing cable service and state-of-the-art technology to underserved markets across America. She played an instrumental role in Mediacom’s growth into the nation’s fourth-largest cable operator, serving more than 3 million homes and businesses across 22 states.

As Mediacom expanded through major acquisitions, Commisso Weinand helped establish and lead its operations, human resources, marketing and programming functions. Her efforts to attract, develop and retain talented employees, together with her commitment to sound and fair employee practices, helped build a successful workforce of more than 3,500 employees. Her advocacy for employee education, including through her work on the CTAM Educational Committee, helped make continuing education and advancement an integral part of Mediacom’s employee development programs.

Called “the heart of Mediacom” by her brother, Rocco B. Commisso, Commisso Weinand championed fairness, diversity and career development, helping shape a family-oriented culture that has had a lasting influence on Mediacom and its employees.

In programming, Commisso Weinand helped Mediacom develop a video offering capable of competing with those of the nation’s largest providers. Her business judgment and relationships within the content acquisition community supported Mediacom’s mission of connecting residential and business customers throughout the 1,500 communities it serves with local, national and international programming choices, along with the advanced technology needed to enjoy them.

She has also been a respected and influential voice throughout the cable industry. A groundbreaker and thoughtful risk-taker, she brought sound business judgment, determination and a strong sense of purpose to her service on the boards of numerous industry organizations, including WICT and NCTC, as well as on committees and task forces including CATHRA. Through those organizations, she advocated for pay equity, improved employee benefits and programming protocols across the industry.

Her industry honors include recognition among Cablefax Magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Cable for 13 consecutive years; induction into the Cable TV Pioneers in 2006 alongside her brother, Rocco B. Commisso, in recognition of her entrepreneurial accomplishments; the Multichannel News Wonder Woman honor in 2004; induction into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2014; the WICT Woman of the Year – Operator Award in 2018; recognition as a Cablefax Glass Breaker in 2022; and induction into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2023.

Commisso Weinand will continue to serve on Mediacom’s Board of Directors and on the boards of JMCC Corporation, The Cable Center, the CTAM Educational Foundation and the Emma Bowen Foundation. She previously served on the boards of Cable Positive, NCTC and WICT. She attended Elizabeth Seton College and Fordham University and completed WICT’s Senior Executive Summit at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

In addition to spending time with her husband, George Weinand, and their son, John Giuseppe Weinand, Commisso Weinand will continue to advocate for the deaf community and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She will also continue her other volunteer, community and philanthropic work.

ABOUT MEDIACOM COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

Mediacom Communications Corporation is the 4th largest cable operator in the United States and the leading gigabit broadband provider to smaller markets primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. Through its fiber-rich network, Mediacom offers high-speed data, video, phone, and mobile services to over 3 million households and businesses across 22 states. The company delivers scalable broadband solutions to commercial and public-sector customers of all sizes through Mediacom Business and sells advertising and production services under the OnMedia brand. More information about Mediacom is available at mediacomcable.com.