Miron, O’Connor, Witmer will co-chair Mirror Awards luncheon ceremony June 4

The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University has announced that Steve Miron, chief executive officer of Bright House Networks; Tonia O’Connor ’92, president of content distribution and corporate business development at Univision Communications Inc.; and Melinda Witmer, executive vice president, chief video officer and COO of Time Warner Cable Networks, will serve as luncheon co-chairs for the 2014 Mirror Awards ceremony, to be held June 4 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

Steve Miron

Miron

Miron

Steve Miron is the chief executive officer of Bright House Networks, the sixth largest owner and operator of cable systems in the U.S. and the second largest in Florida. Bright House Networks has more than 8,000 employees and serves approximately 2.5 million customers.

Miron joined Bright House Networks as president in March 2002. He was named CEO in May of 2008. Under his leadership, the company has earned a strong customer-centric reputation, having earned top accolades from its customers while winning 11 J.D. Power Awards. Miron’s philosophy of putting the customer first is at the core of his own business decisions, embraced by employees and reflected in the company’s culture.

Miron was an ardent apprentice of financial market dynamics from a young age and learned the cable television business by working in a variety of operational areas. He began his formal career in 1989 and has held positions with MetroVision, Vision Cable, NewChannels and Time Warner Cable.

 

Tonia O’Connor ’92

O'Connor

O’Connor

Tonia O’Connor drives Univision’s content distribution efforts across all screens, including online and mobile, and leads the company’s efforts to expand its content availability by securing key partnerships with leading pay TV providers as well as across top consumer electronics companies.

Under her leadership, Univision launched the distribution of UVideos, the first ever bilingual digital video network. O’Connor also works with other key leaders across Univision to coordinate joint initiatives, develop new programs and provide a more effective alliance with external partners. She also launched and leads Univision’s Women’s Leadership Council, an employee resource group organized to help advance women at Univision and prepare the next generation of women leaders.

She joined Univision in January 2008 as executive vice president of distribution sales and marketing. She previously held various positions at Gemstar-TV Guide. She began her career at Bell South and Advanced Telecom Services.

 

Melinda Witmer

Witmer

Witmer

Melinda Witmer oversees Time Warner Cable’s video and content strategy, on demand and online video distribution operations and all content-related business, including acquisition and distribution arrangements across all platforms. She and her team manage the company’s relationships with programmers and content providers across the entertainment industry, including movie studios, broadcast and cable television networks and Internet and interactive providers.

Witmer previously held positions as Time Warner’s chief programming officer; senior vice president of programming; and vice president and chief counsel of programming. Before joining the company, she was vice president and senior counsel at HBO. She was an associate with the law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker.

Witmer is chairperson of the board of iNDemand and a member of the New York and California Bar Associations; Women in Cable and Television; and Women in Film and Television.

The Mirror Awards are the most important awards for recognizing excellence in media industry reporting. Established by the Newhouse School in 2006, the awards honor the reporters, editors and teams of writers who hold a mirror to their own industry for the public’s benefit. The luncheon will be held Wednesday, June 4, from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cipriani 42nd Street. Follow on Twitter at #Mirrors14.

Special awards will be presented to David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications; and Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, co-executive editors of Re/code. In addition, juried awards will be presented in seven categories:

  • Best Single Article – Traditional/Legacy Media ($1,000 prize)
  • Best Single Article – Digital Media ($1,000 prize)
  • Best Single Story – Radio, Television, Cable or Online Broadcast Media ($1,000 prize)
  • Best Profile – Traditional/Legacy or Digital Media ($1,000 prize)
  • Best Commentary – Traditional Media ($1,000 prize)
  • Best Commentary – Digital Media ($1,000 prize)
  • John M. Higgins Award for Best In-Depth/Enterprise Reporting ($5,000 prize)

For more information about ticket and table sales for the ceremony, contact Sarah Hope at 315.443.5711 or mirror@syr.edu. For media inquiries, contact Wendy Loughlin at 315.443.2785 or wsloughl@syr.edu.