3. Patrick Dolan

Many wondered aloud what would become of News 12 and Newsday when the story broke that the Dolan family was selling the news outlets’ parent company, Bethpage-based Cablevision Systems Corp., to Altice, the European-based global telecommunication conglomerate. Then last year came word that Pat Dolan, the longtime president of News 12 Networks—who’s occasionally seen reporting a story himself—would not only remain in that post, but had also bought a majority stake in Newsday Media Group, ascending to president of both news agencies. In effect, Pat kept the biggest local media outlets on Long Island in local hands, even if their new parent company was based overseas. Even critics of the virtual local news monopoly cheered the move, which made Pat LI’s most powerful media mogul.