PITTSBURGH, January 27, 2016 – ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement in response to reports that the FCC will attempt to adopt new cable set-top box mandates as the successor regime to the failed CableCARD:
“The FCC’s cable set-top proposal has many flaws. ACA is especially troubled by the agency’s one-size-fits-all approach that will disproportionately burden smaller cable operators. Incidentally, many ACA members have responded to the new media environment rich with apps and devices by deploying TiVo set-top boxes, which integrate Netflix and other popular OTT services that consumers can access from a single remote. The FCC’s experience with the CableCARD, a costly failure recognized by the FCC itself, suggests that some humility is in order when the justification for government intervention seems at best tenuous amid so much head-spinning change occurring in the multichannel pay-TV environment.”
About the American Cable Association: Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing nearly 750 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/