PITTSBURGH, July 10, 2014 – American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement regarding House Judiciary Committee passage of a bill to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (STELA):
“ACA is pleased that the House Judiciary Committee rejected the National Association of Broadcasters’ calls to eliminate cable’s distant signal copyright license, which in many cases allows cable consumers to view TV signals that actually provide news and weather reports relevant to their communities.
“With the House and Senate Judiciary committees both passing bills leaving cable’s distant signal license untouched, ACA’s attention turns to the Senate Commerce Committee and the need for updating rules and regulations governing retransmission consent. These rules are clearly broken and urgently need to be reformed as part of the STELA reauthorization.”
About the American Cable Association: Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing about 850 smaller and medium-sized, independent cable companies who provide broadband services for nearly 7 million cable subscribers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA’s members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their business. For more information, visit https://acaconnects.org/