Cablefax The Magazine - July 2010 - 8

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD
Bonnie Hathaway,
VP of Public Affairs
Time Warner Cable (Retired)
The industry respected Time Warner Cable VP of Public
Affairs Bonnie Hathaway's wish to retire quietly. That's why
we're excited Hathaway's former colleagues and cable
friends prevailed upon her to accept our Lifetime Achievement
Award. She deserves it, and more.
From her start with HBO in the '80s Hathaway has elevated
community relations, demonstrating the importance of corporate
philanthropy and community involvement. " She has
been so successful because she is a true believer in corporate
responsibility. Her work has never been just a job, it's been
a passion and she's made believers out of many others, " says
longtime friend and Insight SVP Sandy Colony. Hathaway hung
it up in May, in time for summer on the Jersey Shore. CableFAX
Daily Editor in Chief Amy Maclean interrupted Hathaway's welldeserved
R&R for some refl ections on her career.
CFAX: Is there an achievement you're most proud of?
BH: Lasting 27 years! Actually, one of the things I'm most
proud of is one of the last-the development of Connect a
Million Minds [TW Cable's fi ve-year program to inspire students
in science, technology, engineering and math; see more
on page 12]. It's really the culmination of my career in cable
and in a way mirrors how far public affairs has come. From
its development to its execution to its evolution, it has been
one of the most strategic and sophisticated projects I've been
involved with, and the one from which I've learned the most.
CFAX: How has the industry's view of public
affairs shifted from when you started
as a programmer to today?
BH: Initially public affairs mainly involved
regulatory issues and franchising, so
local relationships were an important
part of the job. When I started with
HBO in 1983 it was launching original
movies, so I set up screenings of its
fi rst production, The Terry Fox Story, in
conjunction with our cable affi liates in
the South to support those local
relationships.
When the Cable Television
Public Affairs Association [now
ACC] held its fi rst meeting I
8
cablefaxmag.com
Fast Facts
\ Prior to joining Time Warner Cable, Hathaway was director
of affiliate public relations at HBO. She's been a consultant
to Coca-Cola, a marketing services director for Cable
Coupon Network and director of public information for GA
Public Television.
\ Hathaway won a Vanguard for government and community
relations in 2009.
\ She served as ACC/CTPAA President in '88-89 and '00-01.
believe was when cable public affairs really started to gel as
a recognized professional discipline. There were about 35
of us in the room, most of whom were meeting for the fi rst
time, and many of whom are still in the industry. The birth of
Cable in the Classroom established the value of cable as an
educational tool and gave us a new audience-parents and
educators-to reach, and a new message to deliver.
As the industry has become more sophisticated so has
cable public affairs. Instead of one person handling government,
media and community relations, now those areas
often are separated under a corporate communications umbrella.
But I'd argue that localism still is at the core of what
we do, especially in today's competitive environment. The
importance of Public Affairs to that localism is recognized
and appreciated.
CFAX: We've seen Cable Positive fold. What's the
future for other groups in the next 3-5 years?
BH: I wish I had a crystal ball for this one. The only thing
I can say from the perspective of experience is that these
things tend to wax and wane and I hope the industry realizes
the importance of these groups. Participating in them makes
us better in our jobs and provides a way to share experiences
and grow, which benefi ts the companies in the long run.
CFAX: Do you plan to stay involved in cable? Do you
have personal goals now that you're retired, like taking
up skydiving?
BH: Actually I'm going kayaking and whale watching in
August. Other than that, my plans are not to have any plans
for a while.
[Online Bonus: At cablefax.com Bonnie Hathaway talks
about her mentors and working with Glenn Britt.]
July 2010
CableFAX: The Magazine
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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2010

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