Press Kit
Midcontinent Communications
Operations Center
3901 N. Louise Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
1-800-888-1300
Media Contact:
W. Tom Simmons, Senior Vice President of Public Policy
tom_simmons@mmi.net
605-357-5491
1-800-888-1300, ext. 5491
Customer Service Center Locations
Websites
Midco Sports Network
Midco.net
Midcontinent Business Solutions
MyMidco: Online Customer Self-Service
Twitter
Facebook - Midcontinent Communications
Facebook - Careers at Midcontinent
Midcontinent Communications is the Upper Midwest’s leading provider of data, video, phone and cable advertising services for over 300,000 residential and business customers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Ownership:
Midcontinent Communications is a subsidiary of Midcontinent Media, Inc. based in Minneapolis, MN.
Leadership:
Mark Niblick, Chairman of the Board
Patrick McAdaragh, President and Chief Executive Officer
Dick Busch, Chief Operating Officer
Steven Grosser, Chief Financial Officer
W. Thomas Simmons, Senior Vice President of Public Policy
Employees 2012:
709 employees in South Dakota
236 employees in North Dakota
84 employees in Minnesota
Total number of employees: 1029
About Us
Since our beginnings in a small movie theater in 1931, we have taken the lead in connecting our region to the world of information and entertainment. Today, we’re still doing the same -- only now we make it happen through wideband Internet, digital and High Definition television, and local and long-distance phone service.
Today, Midcontinent is a diversified company present in 335 communities throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. With a lasting and successful track record in cable TV, Internet, telephone services, and cable advertising, Midcontinent Communications maintains its leadership role for each of its industries.
Midcontinent is committed to being an integral and proactive part of customers’ lives beyond the standard customer/service-provider relationship. While expanding business interests and reaching further into the region, Midcontinent still strives to embrace the Midwestern spirit of community, and as the needs and demands of the telecommunications customer changes into the second decade of the 21st century, we continue to find ways to meet and exceed those needs for customers.
Our Mission
Valuing our customers as honored guests by creating and delivering high-quality services that customers want in exchange for a fair price, developing our employees and treating them fairly, and contributing to the communities of which we are a part.
We continue to give our customers what they ask for.
Launched in 2010, our very own Midco Sports Network has become the region’s number one resource for live local college, high school, youth athletic event broadcasts and regional sports programming. A complete schedule of live games and programming is available at www.midcosportsnet.com.
In just the last decade, Midcontinent has spent millions on plant upgrades to provide rural customers with advanced digital and high definition television, broadband Internet and in many cases competitive local exchange telephone services. When launched in 1995, Midcontinent’s Internet product clocked speeds of 1.5 Mbps down and 128 Kbps up. With the introduction of MidcoNet Xstream in 2011, customers can get up to 100 Mbps download and 15 upload. Midcontinent took “staying connected” to another level by developing the Northern Plains Network (NPNet), now with more than 6,400 miles of fiber in self-healing redundant rings resulting in the biggest, most reliable fiber optic network in the region. With this amazing connection, Midcontinent Business Solutions fulfills the capacity needs of even the largest Enterprise customers, including data and optical transport as well as phone and Internet connectivity.
We continue to participate in the community.
As always, we remain committed to making this region a great place to live and work. We whole-heartedly support each community, our sports teams, fundraisers, educational and cultural events, social-impact initiatives, and so much more through our volunteer commitments and through grants awarded by our Midcontinent Foundation.
We continue to prepare for the future.
From day one, our founders never wanted the Great Plains to be left behind. Thanks to their vision, we never were and we never will be. Our goal has always been to keep our customers and our communities connected now and in the future. Above all, we appreciate the need and the demand for superior customer service, the latest technology and exceptional products.
Brands
Midcontinent Communications® MidcoNet® Limited, MidcoNet Xstream™, MidcoNet® Tunes, MyMidco™, MidcoNet® Plus, Midcontinent Business Solutions®, NPNet™, Midco Sports Network™.
Capabilities
Residential
- Wideband Internet
- Video Service and High Definition Television
- Digital Phone
Business Solutions
- Phone
- Data/Enterprise Solutions
- Video
- Advertising Sales
Our History
In the 1930s, Eddie Ruben acquired the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis and assigned young Joe L. Floyd to build and operate the Granada Theater in Sioux Falls. This launched a chain of successful theaters that extended throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. In 1952, when broadcaster Larry Bentson became a partner, the company set its sights on telecommunications by acquiring a radio station in Sioux Falls and a construction permit for a TV station. They continued to invest in the latest technology bringing the region into the cable and Internet age. In 1968, Floyd’s son, Joe H. Floyd, left Public Service Co., the Colorado power company, to help Midcontinent’s fledgling cable business. Joe H. Floyd became president and chief operating officer in 1995.
From this early framework emerged the progressive company known as Midcontinent Communications. Today, Midcontinent proudly provides over 240 communities with broadband Internet, cable and High Definition television, and local and long distance phone service for homes and businesses. Along the way, Midcontinent has shared in making this region a great place to live, work and play by supporting sports teams, fundraisers, educational and cultural events, and more. Midcontinent Communications continues to thrive by adjusting to market trends while sustaining the values instilled by the entrepreneurial trio of Ruben, Floyd, and Bentson. Midcontinent’s drive for an exceptional customer experience fuels the company’s growth and sets the stage for success for years to come.
Midcontinent Communications Timeline
1931: Midcontinent founders pioneer state-of-the-art theatres in Minneapolis, MN.
1937: KELO-AM radio signs on in Sioux Falls, SD.
1948: Midcontinent pioneers Starlite and Moonlite drive-in movie theatres in the upper Midwest.
1952: Ruben, Floyd and Bentson purchase Midcontinent Broadcasting Co.
1953: KELO-TV signs on as South Dakota’s first television station.
1967: Midcontinent constructs its first cable system in Huron, SD.
1969: Midcontinent makes Pierre, SD one of the nation’s first state capitols to have cable.
1974: Midcontinent Data is founded in Aberdeen, SD.
1980: Cable is brought to Mitchell, SD.
1981: Washington International Teleport provides satellite communications services to local communities.
1982: Midcontinent becomes the first company in SD to offer competitive long distance phone service.
1986: Midcontinent launches 24-hour answering, order-taking and paging services.
1987: Creation of the Midcontinent Media Foundation.
1988: Midcontinent cable advertising sales begins operations.
1993: Pay-Per-View is introduced to customers.
1995: Midcontinent Broadband Internet Service (MidcoNet®) is established.
1996: Telecommunications Act signed into law opening competition in phone, digital and data services.
1997: Midcontinent’s first local broadband business network to the postal service in Sioux Falls.
1998: Creation of redundant fiber ring allowing smaller communities to receive more advanced services.
1999: The Network Operations Center is created to monitor Midcontinent’s growing broadband network.
2000: Midcontinent offers digital cable and Augustana College becomes the first trio bundle customer.
2001: Launched first facilities-based residential telephone service in Sioux Falls.
2002: Expanded redundant fiber network.
2003: MidcoNet® Max is introduced; High Definition (HD) is launched in the larger markets.
2004: DVR is launched; MidcoNet gets even faster with 8 Mbps download and 256 Kbps upload speeds.
2005: The first Midcontinent wireless hotspot is launched for the Huron Regional Airport.
2006: Digital Phone service is launched in select cities; Video On Demand programming begins.
2007: Midcontinent increases the speed of MidcoNet to up to 10 mbps download and 512 kbps upload.
2008: In February, Midcontinent begins offering service to the community of West Fargo, ND.
2009: Midcontinent brings services to eight newly-acquired markets in Minnesota. The NPNet brand is
introduced. Launch of DOCSIS 3.0 technology in North and South Dakota and in Minnesota, and MidcoNet Ultimate is introduced. MyMidco customer self-care becomes available for online ordering and account management.
2010: MidcoNet speeds increase; “All Digital Cable” upgrade begins; Services available in Moorhead, MN; Ownership is transferred to long-time employees Pat McAdaragh, Dick Busch and Steve Grosser; Midco Sports Network is launched; DOCSIS 3.0 technology upgrade is complete in service area.
2011: MidcoNet Xstream introduced with fastest speeds ever! All Digital Cable process complete on September 1st with the last HD channel additions to Bemidji, MN. On October 1st, 33,000 US Cable customers in Minnesota and Wisconsin were transferred to Midcontinent.
Community Involvement
Events
Midcontinent is a part of every hometown in our service area. We are actively involved in these communities and, as we extend services to new markets, we seek out productive opportunities to reach out and welcome customers and their families. We sponsor information stops by the C-Span Civics Bus, major sports team meet-and-greet caravans and appearances by popular entertainers and personalities, as well as cable television characters like Nickelodeon’s “Dora the Explorer” to promote our viewers’ favorite networks. Midcontinent has also been a long-time sponsor of hometown events like JazzFest in Sioux Falls and we take on a vital role in local community fund drives and awareness campaigns such as the United Way and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.
Cable in the Classroom
After two decades, Cable in the Classroom continues to provide our schools with commercial-free educational and informational programming to help better prepare our next generation for their future. Cable in the Classroom allows children to tour the worlds of science, culture, language and the arts, all without leaving their desks, via free cable hook-ups and programming. Midcontinent has connected nearly 500 local schools to cable through this program.
Giving Back
The Midcontinent Foundation was created in 1987 to help serve Midcontinent Communications’ communities. Throughout its years in operation, the Midcontinent Media Foundation has granted over $3,000,000 in private grants to 501(c)(3) organizations. Many of the allocated grants served as seed money for new philanthropic initiatives and also to enhance existing programs including those addressing health and human service issues, funding of building improvements and equipment for schools and non-profit facilities, and for local arts and recreation programs benefitting individuals, youth and families.
Where We Are
Service Offerings
Residential
Internet: MidcoNet Xstream 3.0 offers one of the fastest Internet services available in our region, with downloads up to 100 Mbps. MidcoNet Xstream 2: 50x5 and MidcoNet Xstream 1.0 30x5.
Video: Midcontinent offers cutting-edge cable television, including access to sports and movie packages, High Definition (HD) television and Digital Video Recorder (DVR) service.
Cable Service – More than 200 channels of cable programming, over 40 channels of digital, commercial-free music and an Interactive Channel Guide.
High Definition Service – High Definition television gives the viewer a vivid lifelike picture and a clearer sound quality.
DVR – DVR is a whole new way of watching TV. Customers can record and save their favorite shows and movies and view them whenever they want.
On Demand – Customers now get Instant access to thousands of hours of free content that changes monthly including: movies, music, sports, shows, interactive programs, kids’ content and local information – even in HD where available.
Phone: Midcontinent provides a digital phone option that is reliable and easy-to-use. Special features include: Caller ID, Call Waiting ID, 3-Way Calling, Speed Call 30, Distinctive Ringing, Last Call Return, Call Forwarding, Simultaneous Ring, and Continuous Redial.
Business Services
Phone: Midcontinent offers business owners the option of having a regular business line, a T-1 line for local and long distance calling or even a toll-free number for added credibility. Midcontinent helps customers analyze phone usage patterns and marketing effectiveness, while customizing pricing options for each business.
Data: To keep up with a fast-paced business world, Midcontinent data services move even faster. We can design a plan with bandwidth to fit any company’s needs, which can range from basic cable modem Internet service to a dedicated T-1 connection or advanced Ethernet solutions.
Video: Midcontinent Video customers can get the latest breaking news or stock reports for their office, or turn a waiting room into a living room. These customers can choose cable or even HD cable service for the latest technology.
Music: Midcontinent also provides more than 40 commercial-free channels of crisp, clear digital music to fill the workplace with continuous music from every genre.
Ad Sales: Businesses advertise with Midcontinent because, as the largest cable provider in the region, we reach more than 80% of the households in the communities we serve.
Executive Biographies
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Mark Niblick |
Mark Niblick serves as the Chairman of Midcontinent Media, Inc. (MMI). He joined the company in 1985 and served as its President and CEO from 2001 to 2007. Mr. Niblick holds undergraduate and law degrees from Indiana University and was a practicing attorney and CPA prior to joining Midcontinent. In addition, he also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Law. Mr. Niblick is actively involved as a board member of several Twin Cities non-profit organizations, and has served as board chair of Variety Children’s Association and the Community University Health Care Center. In 2007 he was awarded the Award of Distinction by the Regents of the University of Minnesota. In addition, he is a director on the National Cable & Telecommunications Board. |
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Patrick McAdaragh |
Pat McAdaragh has been actively involved with all aspects of Midcontinent since 1980. He became President and CEO in 2007. During Mr. McAdaragh’s tenure, he has held a number of key positions with the company in Finance and Operations including Chief Operating Officer and Director of Treasury Operations. Mr. McAdaragh has been deeply involved in all of Midcontinent’s various holdings, including theaters, cable, radio, broadcast TV, satellite teleport and video rental businesses. Over the past decade, he has been instrumental in transforming over 340 standalone cable systems into an interconnected fiber optic network spanning 6,000 miles, passing nearly a half a million homes, and serving over 295,000 homes and businesses. Mr. McAdaragh is a native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and received a BA in Accounting from Augustana College in Sioux Falls. He also serves on the board of directors for CableLabs and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. |
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Dick Busch |
Dick Busch has chief management responsibility for Operations, including Customer Care, Field Operations, Training, and Operations Systems and Support, as well as oversight for Midco Connections, MMI’s customer contact center which provides services for the direct marketing industry. Mr. Busch began his Midcontinent career in 1976 and worked with management information systems for the cable, television, radio, telephone, theater, satellite and retail divisions of Midcontinent Media, Inc. Currently, he oversees approximately 800 employees. He was elected to the Midcontinent Board of Directors while serving as the Chief Technology Officer and currently maintains that seat as the Chief Operating Officer, a position he has held since 2007. A native of Rugby, North Dakota, Mr. Busch graduated from the North Dakota State College of Science and the University of Sioux Falls. |
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Steven Grosser |
Steve Grosser, a Cokato, Minnesota native, has been with Midcontinent since 1990. Named Chief Financial Officer in 2001, he is responsible for all of Midcontinent’s Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions, Legal and Regulatory, Risk Management, Information Systems, and Programming activities and all of the company’s long-term financial and tax planning. In his 20 years, Mr. Grosser has been involved in all of Midcontinent’s holdings, including theaters, cable, radio, broadcast TV, satellite teleport, and video rental businesses. Prior to becoming CFO, Mr. Grosser served as Controller for Midcontinent. He is a CPA and was previously employed by Grant Thornton LLP in its Minneapolis, Minnesota office. Mr. Grosser earned a BS in Accounting from St. Cloud State University. |
