Joseph J. Collins obit

 

Joseph J. Collins Dies: Pioneering Cable Exec And Former HBO President Was 81

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Joseph J. Collins, a leading cable executive as the pay-TV platform became a dominant part of the media industry in the late 20th century, has died. He was 81.

A family representative said Collins died April 2 at his home in Weekapaug, RI, of unspecified causes.

Collins held senior exec posts at Time Warner Cable, Comcast and other foundational players in the cable ecosystem. In 1984, he was appointed president of HBO.

Later, as chairman and CEO of American Television and Communications, Collins shepherded a merger with Time Warner Cable, serving as CEO of the combined entity. The stint at ATC was his second, following an earlier one beginning in 1972 when he became marketing director in Orlando, FL, and culminating a decade later with him being named president.

Collins’ career covered a period when early cable operators positioned themselves to become broadband providers. TWC, whose systems are now part of Charter Communications, was among the early investors in broadband infrastructure. A contemporary of better-known industry figures like John Malone, Collins was widely credited with advancing hybrid fiber-coaxial architecture, the technical backbone for high-speed cable internet.

Born in Troy, New York in 1944, Collins graduated from Brown University and went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School. Between those degrees, he served in the United States Navy, reaching the rank of lieutenant and earning the Vietnam Combat Action Ribbon for his service during the Vietnam War.

Jeff Bewkes, former CEO of Time Warner, which owned a controlling stake in Time Warner Cable until shedding it in advance of Charter’s 2014 takeover, saluted Collins in a statement shared by the late exec’s family.

“Joe was instrumental in building the first cable systems, upgrading them to deliver hundreds of channels, then video on demand, and finally the broadband streaming and internet apps that we all use every day now,” Bewkes said. “His penetrating intelligence and matter-of-fact manner, coupled with his imposing physical stature, could be intimidating on first impression. But all of us who were lucky to work with Joe knew him as kind, considerate and one of the funniest dry wits around.” Bewkes noted the industry’s unanimous esteem for Collins, adding “and none of them get along.”

Collins was a founder and the chairman of C-SPAN, chaired industry tech organization CableLabs, led the board of directors at Comcast and served on the boards of Turner Broadcasting and TriStar Pictures. While on the Turner board, he helped spearhead its game-changing merger with Time Warner. He was recognized with numerous industry honors and was inducted into the Cable Center Hall of Fame in 2001.

Collins lived for many years in Darien, CT, and later split his time between Weekapaug and Jupiter Island, FL.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Maura McManman Collins; his children, Maura Farley Lucke, Elizabeth Dempsey Fitton, Joseph Jameson Collins Jr. and Kathryn “Tryn” Collins; and 11 grandchildren.

A funeral service is planned for April 13 in Rhode Island.