Rita Valentino, 78, a WMBO radio broadcast personality and former Auburn Cablevision chief executive officer for more than 30 years, died Monday, at her home.

Her husband of 60 years, Anthony Valentino, daughter, Karen Gill, and son, Roger, survive her, along with five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by a daughter, Leslie, in 2002.

Valentino did “Around Auburn with Rita,” a half-hour talk show at 9:30 a.m. on WMBO and eventually wound up as president of Auburn Cablevision.

Her son Roger said she went to work right out of high school in the early 1950s in an entry level clerical position at WMBO. He remembered her playing records on the radio for him when he was a boy - the song from “Dr. Dolittle.”

“She had an extraordinary vocabulary and was really smart,” he said. “She just rose to a higher position out of her natural ability.”

When the management of WMBO decided to go into the fledgling cable television business, Valentino was asked to move from radio into cable. She learned everything on the job.

As the cable business grew, her business skills led her to become chief executive officer and president.

As part of her duties at the cable company, Roger said, there was a co-op broadcast with the community college, focusing on local government and interviewing local government officials.

“She was very interested in politics her whole life,” he said.

Valentino's diverse experience with the New York State Cable Association Board led her to eventually become the chair. Through her involvement in cable-related state legislation, she met high level cable executives and traveled two or three times per year to Europe.

“My mother and I were most closely related through our interest in business,” Roger said. “She was brilliant. She really had a very analytical mind. She would have been a terrible teacher because she didn't understand why you didn't get it the first time.”

Guy Cosentino recalled being her guest for a couple of shows. She did public affairs programming for about 20 years and hosted “Inside City Hall,” succeeded by Ed Lauckern, then Cosentino.

“She's was pretty much in a groundbreaking position,” Cosentino said. “She had a good team at the college, but there was a private sector commitment as well.”

In the late 1980s and 90s government believed it wasn't being heard in the sound bites issued by the press, he said.

“She allowed government officials to come on and give their side of the story,” he said. “She set the tone for how subsequent shows operated. She broke real ground.

“She knew more about what was going on in city hall than this council member. She was gracious and had a great institutional memory. She literally covered at least three or four mayors and a dozen city councilmen.”

Valentino also focused on the role of children and families, helping not-for-profit agencies.

“She had a great sense of humor, which she likely needed,” Cosentino said. “Nobody ever loves a cable company.”

Cosentino said Valentino didn't define situations in black and white but looked at the big picture. He credited her company with being customer service oriented, which only comes when the top management has that focus.

“She had a strong sense of community,” Roger said, “a great sense of pride for Auburn. She did remarkable things.”

“She was a cheerleader for the community,” Cosentino said, “a lovely lady who will be missed by many.”

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net