PITTSBURGH, April 4, 2014 – American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement regarding the April 2 ex parte letter (attached) to the Federal Communications Commission from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy in support of key adjustments to the FCC’s program access rules beneficial to smaller cable operators:
“ACA commends SBA’s Office of Advocacy for endorsing the need for the Federal Communications Commission to update and modify its program access rules to extend their protection against discriminatory pricing to the nation’s largest program-buying group, the National Cable Television Cooperative, and for noting the value of the modifications to ensure fairer pricing for smaller cable operators in light of the increasing level of vertical integration in the multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) marketplace, including Comcast’s planned acquisition of 11 million Time Warner Cable subscribers, a transaction that would dramatically increase the level of vertical integration. ACA, like SBA, urges the FCC to move forward.”
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/