PITTSBURGH, May 13, 2011 — Colleen Abdoulah, Chairwoman & CEO of WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone, is Vice Chairwoman of the American Cable Association. She issued the following statement on news that Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) has decided not to seek re-election in 2012.
“On every important matter to small cable operators, the American Cable Association could always rely on Sen. Kohl for a fair hearing to ensure that those with the most lobbying clout didn’t win every policy battle on Capitol Hill by default.
“Sen. Kohl was especially helpful with regard to the proposed merger between Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal. With Sen. Kohl’s interest and support, I testified in February, 2010, for ACA before Sen. Kohl’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights to stress that the Comcast-NBCU transaction would harm consumers and competition without meaningful conditions.
“My ability to appear before Sen. Kohl’s panel allowed ACA to participate in the merger debate at a high level and eventually persuade officials at the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice to adopt pro-consumer conditions before permitting Comcast and NBCU to join forces. I will never forget the assistance Sen. Kohl offered ACA on a matter of great importance to its entire membership.”
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American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka added:
“Sen. Kohl served his country with great honor and distinction for many years, and he deserves the highest recognition possible for the influential role he played in seeing that consumers are served by a competitive communications market. To his lasting credit, Sen. Kohl was never afraid to speak out when he believed an erosion in competition would harm the public interest.
“From my perspective, Sen. Kohl could always be counted on to ask the right questions in probing whether all consumers would truly benefit from a pending acquisition, a proposed regulation or a Senate floor amendment under debate.
By fighting for the little guy and resisting the power of big corporations, Sen. Kohl was indeed a profile in courage. Any lawmaker who wants to establish a pro-consumer agenda that is also mindful of the special concerns of small business need only consult the laudable record of achievement that Sen. Kohl leaves as his legacy to a grateful nation.”
About the American Cable Association
Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing nearly 900 smaller and medium-sized, independent cable companies who provide broadband services for more than 7.6 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/