Small Cable Leader to Discuss New NTIA/RUS Broadband Programs, Other
PITTSBURGH, April 3, 2009 — ACA president and CEO Matthew M. Polka will discuss public policy issues critical to small and independent cable companies on C-SPAN’s weekly series “The Communicators.” The program airs Saturday, April 4 at 6:30 pm ET on C-SPAN and again at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday, April 6 on C-SPAN2.
Polka, ACA’s top executive since 1997, was in Washington, D.C., this week, along with several ACA board members and executives, to attend the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s annual convention, a three-day event bringing together cable operators, programmers, equipment vendors, Capitol Hill lawmakers and Federal Communications Commission officials to discuss important communications trends.
Under Polka’s leadership, ACA in recent weeks has made recommendations to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) on preferred ways of allocating $7.2 billion in new broadband stimulus funding.
On Capitol Hill, ACA has been actively involved in the debate as Congress prepares to extend the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA), which might result in giving satellite and cable providers the right to provide in-state broadcast signals to consumers who cannot receive them today.
ACA has also been in contact with the FCC about the need to ensure that ACA members with limited resources are not required to comply with onerous regulatory mandates, such as the furnishing of three-year-old business data that many companies simply have not retained.
Joining Polka on C-SPAN’s “The Communicators” public affairs program, in separate taped appearances, are Comcast Corp. CEO Brian Roberts, and NBCU Entertainment President Bonnie Hammer.
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About the American Cable Association
Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing more than 900 smaller and medium-sized, independent cable companies who provide broadband services for more than 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/
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