Remembering Steve Dodge
• Our industry lost a major player last week with the news of the death of Steve Dodge, former CEO of American Cable Systems Corporation, American Radio Systems and American Tower Corporation, who was killed last week in Bonita Springs, FL when the bike he was riding was struck by a car. He was 73 years old.
The Lee County (FL) Sheriff’s Office told WINK News that Dodge was riding his bike along the sidewalk headed west down Bonita Beach Road. Witnesses say Dodge attempted to make an illegal crossing across the road away from the cross walk. As he crossed the street at an angle in front of traffic, a car heading in the same direction hit Dodge’s bike from behind, sending Dodge and his bike into the windshield of the car. He was transported to Lee County Memorial where he passed away from his injuries. The driver of the vehicle was found to have no fault in the incident.
Early in his career, Dodge cut his corporate teeth at Bank of Boston, where in 1978 he was called upon to evaluate the viability of the then-fledgling cable television industry. Dodge chose wisely and left the bank to start his own cable company, American Cable Systems, which he sold to Continental Cable for 10 years later for $450 million. Shortly thereafter, Dodge made the move into radio launched Atlantic Radio, which in 1993 combined with Stoner Broadcasting and Multi Market Communications to form American Radio Systems. Dodge and his executive team, which consisted of Co-COO’s David Pearlman, John Gehron and Don Bouloukos, eventually grew ARS from a 16-station group into the industry’s fourth-largest radio company with 96 stations before it was merged into CBS Corp. 1998 for $2.6 billion.
While running ARS, Dodge saw the opportunity to make money in the tower business and formed American Tower Corp. as an ARS subsidiary. By 1995 ATC had become the largest independent owner and operator of communications towers in the U.S. When ARS was sold to CBS, ATC was spun off to shareholders and Dodge was named CEO.
In 2003 Dodge decided to get into the real estate business and founded Windover Development, which built high-end, single-family homes on Boston’s North Shore, designing and building small villages wrapped around landscaped greens in Manchester, MA, and large apartment complexes clustered around the train station in Beverly, MA. Dodge later established Windover Development of Florida, based in Bonita Springs. There is much more information about Dodge posted on the website of the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT, where he is listed as a Distinguished Alumni (Class of 1963).
