Last night the Cable Center inducted John Porter, CEO of Telenet, into the Cable Hall of Fame at a gala dinner in New York.
The prestigious annual event celebrates the most innovative and influential people in the connectivity, content and entertainment industry, with John’s outstanding 40-year career and passion for the industry being recognized.
Together with five other nominees, John joins a select group of recipients, including Liberty Global founder and Chairman, John Malone, and Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries.
Speaking on his induction, John Porter comments: “I feel honored to be nominated by Mike Fries for the Cable Hall of Fame and thrilled to join this esteemed institution. It has been a true privilege to be part of the worldwide cable industry from its early pioneering days until its leading position today. Since the start of my career 41 years ago, I have been fortunate to meet and work with so many talented people who share my vision, my values and my commitment. This recognition also extends to the Telenet team, and I am looking forward to continue building the Telenet story with them”.
This year is the 25th annual celebration of the Cable Hall of Fame by the Cable Center, an educational non-profit focused on the advancement of the cable and video entertainment industry. Since the first celebration in 1998, The Cable Center have honored individuals from the world of telecommunications and media for their entrepreneurship and innovations in the industry. John Porter is the first CEO of a Belgian company to be inducted into this select group of pioneers. John was nominated by Mike Fries, the CEO of Liberty Global, who was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2017.
John demonstrated curiosity and interest in cable from a young age, working at Group W, Warner Cable, and then Time Warner Cable before he was 30. His passion for cable and leadership instinct helped him to develop his career quickly, and in 1995 he began building a new cable company in Australia from the ground up. AUSTAR, a former Liberty Global Company, was led by John until it was acquired in 2012 and is consider by him to be one the primary highlights of his career.
In 2013, John was appointed CEO of Belgium’s leading telecom and entertainment provider, Telenet. He has led Telenet to build Europe’s largest Giga-network and has created a diversified portfolio in telecoms and entertainment.
Mike Fires, CEO Liberty Global, said: “John Porter is a truly outstanding and authentic leader who has used his knowledge and passion for technology to benefit Telenet, Liberty Global and millions of customers around the world. Being inducted into The Cable Hall of fame is one of our industry’s highest honors and I’m proud to see John’s dedication and impact deservedly recognized.”
The Hall of Fame honorees are chosen based on their leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation in media. Since 1998, 140 inspiring people have been inducted.