Paul Kagan

1937 - 2020

Paul Kagan, Cable TV Pioneer Dies at 82Paul Kagan, Cable Television Pioneer who was among the first to discover the potential of cable TV, died on August 23 at the age of 82, from kidney failure. Born and raised in the Bronx, Kagan went to Hunter College in New York and then moved to Binghampton to become a sportswriter and a play by play radio announcer for the New York Yankee's farm team. Kagan returned to New York City where he did PR for Stan Lee of Marvel Comics, sold radio advertising at CBS and WOR-FM in NY, and was a freelance writer for newspapers, magazines, and Barron's. But it was in 1968, while he was a broadcasting securities analyst for E.F. Hutton/Wall Street, that his fascination for the nascent cable television industry truly evolved. Kagan left E.F. Hutton in 1969 and founded Paul Kagan Associates, Inc. and published Cable TV Investor, the first newsletter in this emerging media field. He moved his growing business and family to Carmel, CA in 1978. Over the span of his almost 50-year career, Kagan and PKA published over 38 newsletters and 95 data books, on all aspects of the media, in the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia, including Asia Cable and Satellite World and Asia Broadband magazines. Dubbed "the Cable TV Guru," Kagan also conducted and participated in hundreds of high-level seminars and conferences across the US and around the world. He was an appraiser of media values, managed stock and bond funds, consulted for leading companies and government agencies, and often appeared in major newspapers, magazines, and television. Kagan wrote twice monthly columns for Cable World magazine, which he co-founded and financed and also created Euromedia, the first pan-European business magazine. In 1989 Kagan opened an office in London and soon followed with offices in Los Angeles, Denver, and Hong Kong. His website, pkbaseline.com, was the first to offer pay-per-view data and his internet Media Investor newsletter was the first publication to recognize the role of internet search engines as media companies. In 2000, Kagan sold PKA to Primedia which was ultimately acquired by SNL Financial, and today the research company continues to operate as Kagan, a unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence. In 2006 Kagan launched PK Worldmedia, Inc, and as Chairman/CEO, continued to conduct conferences and provided research and consulting services to executives, financiers, and investors in digital entertainment and communications. He was co-founder and director of The Cable Center in Denver and was co-founder and director emeritus of the John Bayliss Broadcast Foundation. He was also a fellow of the New York Society of Security Analysts, a member of the Media Analysts Group of New York and was inducted into both the Cable Hall of Fame as well as the Hunter College Hall of Fame. When Paul wasn't working, he was taking thousands of pictures of everyone he knew. He was a talented photographer, artist, and guitar player and was a fan of all things baseball, football and basketball--especially the Yankees and the Warriors. He loved movies, television, Broadway musicals, and a good joke – but most of all he loved and supported his family and friends and his generosity towards everyone knew no bounds. He will be missed beyond comprehension. Survivors include his high school sweetheart and wife of 62 years, Florrie; daughters Melanie (Ross) Canter and Linda (Ron) Cosmero; grandchildren Mia, Gabriel and Matthew; his sister Beatrice Kagan; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, goddaughters and friends who meant so much to him. A private burial was held on August 27th, in Pacific Grove, CA due to Covid-19, but a celebration of his life will be planned for a later date. Donations in Paul's memory can be made to the Warriors Community Foundation which is dedicated to making a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of underserved youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. http://donorbox.org/in-memory-of-paul-kagan.