PITTSBURGH, June 10, 2014 – American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement on Senate introduction of the bill to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (STELA):
“ACA is pleased that the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee have rejected calls to let the cable copyright license expire and dismissed the National Association of Broadcasters’ effort to eliminate cable’s pro-competitive distant signal copyright license.
“The compulsory license plays an important role in the marketplace for smaller cable operators, and the bill introduced by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) would not alter this fact.
“We look forward to working with lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the other Committees to reauthorize STELA in a way that preserves what works for both consumers and market participants. Clearly, rules and regulations governing retransmission consent — which are more closely tied to the jurisdiction of the Commerce Committees — are not working and need to be reformed as soon as possible.”
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, visithttps://acaconnects.org/