PROFILE
H e was at the helm when cable firm Comcast revolutionised Teesside’ s TV and broadband habits.
Now, 31 years on, Peter Wilcock has the same fire in his belly – only this time, it’ s the potential of AI that’ s driving his passion.
Two buildings going up soon on Stockton’ s Preston Farm Industrial Estate will house the UK’ s first purposebuilt“ neural edge” data centre – a hub for ultra-low latency connectivity that will help bring AI into our homes.
But back in the mid-90s, Peter was sales and marketing director at Comcast, a brazen new communications kid on the block that promised to open up a whole new world for the people of Teesside – but not before they dug the streets up first.
Peter knew the potential, but that early disruption caused by the Murphy cable crews – plus the fact most people had no idea what Comcast was about – made it a tough sell.
He did it, though. Teesside opened its hearts – and front doors – to let Comcast in and a boom time began, with this area becoming the most cabled up in the country.
Now he’ s doing it all again with Latos. Only this time, it’ s all about AI, he has 31 more years of experience to call on – and the streets will remain intact.
Reflecting on those Comcast days, Peter recalls:“ Nobody wanted us to start with. People had telephone lines, they didn’ t want more TV channels and the internet was like,‘ What are we going to do with that?’ So, it was a tough gig.
“ It was the largest civil infrastructure since the underground and I was working for a company nobody had heard of, selling products nobody wanted.
“ We were the first business to come inside the house. And yet, we quickly took market share away from BT and ended up with six million customers and £ 2.5bn of revenues from zero. In certain areas, we managed 100 % penetration.
“ It was the flagship, and that’ s why NTL bought Comcast, because of Teesside. If you get in the right environment that suits you, it’ s a great ride.”
One of Peter’ s Comcast innovations that makes some Teessiders go misty-eyed with nostalgic fondness was Boro TV – the country’ s first official football club channel.
A three-way venture between Comcast, Visionsport International and the club, it was anchored by Ali Brownlee and Boro legend Bernie Slaven – and fans couldn’ t get enough.
Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen and ESPN anchor Kay Murray both made their debuts on Boro TV – although Peter only had one appearance on the channel he created.
He smiles:“ I was desperate to be on it. I kept suggesting ideas to Ali, who’ d say‘ OK, chief’ – that’ s what he called me –‘ we’ ll have a think’. But the only time I made it on screen was when Paul Merson left Boro and I dressed up as a janitor to put the mannequin we had of him in the studio into a skip.”
Leeds born and bred but now an adopted Teessider, Peter studied business at Leeds Polytechnic, followed by an MBA( Master of Business Administration) at Durham. But did he have a plan?
“ Not really. I was just bouncing along. But then, by chance, you find something that’ s your niche and you make the most of it. I’ ve got two daughters and I’ m more keen that they find what suits them than anything else – and Comcast was the thing that really suited me.”
MY STANCE ABOUT AI IS THE SAME AS IT WAS ABOUT BROADBAND. I HAD NO IDEA HOW BROADBAND WORKED BUT I KNEW THE POTENTIAL AND WHAT IT COULD DO. IT’ S THE SAME WITH AI – IT’ S ALL OUR FUTURES.”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 15