For Immediate Release
Contact: Ted Hearn
(202) 713-0826
[email protected]
PITTSBURGH, March 17, 2020 – ACA Connects (ACAC) President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement in support of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s call on broadcasters to work with cable and satellite operators to halt broadcast service disruptions during the coronavirus crisis:
“ACA Connects again applauds FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for his leadership at a time when the country continues to face a national emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic. We endorse his call for broadcasters to work with cable and satellite operators to prevent service disruptions during this crisis.
“ACA Connects members have already taken steps to assist customers during this trying time. Many, for example, have signed Chairman Pai’s ‘Keep Americans Connected’ pledge. Others have gone further in addressing increased and unique demands by their customers and their communities during this period of social distancing brought on by the coronavirus outbreak.
“Chairman Pai has identified another way in which we can all do our part. Just as the challenges facing our country require a new level of teamwork between the private sector and government, they also require a new level of teamwork within the private sector itself.
“This is why ACA Connects endorses Chairman Pai’s suggestion that broadcasters and MVPDs work to maintain a ‘quiet period’ to avoid disruption during this national emergency. We will ask our members to respect this quiet period and expect that they will do so. During this crisis, more than ever, the viewing public must come first.
“ACA Connects appreciates all of the actions Chairman Pai is taking to allow consumers, businesses, and others to connect and communicate, and we will work with him and the FCC every step of the way.”
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association – Based in Pittsburgh, ACA Connects is a trade organization representing more than 700 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, phone and video services to nearly 8 million customers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA Connects’ members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their businesses. For more information, visit: https://acaconnects.org