PITTSBURGH, March 10, 2016 – American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement regarding the FCC Reauthorization Act of 2016 circulated by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.):
“It is important that federal laws and regulations stay up-to-date with current marketplace conditions. ACA agrees with Commerce Chairman Sen. Thune that work on an FCC reauthorization bill can be useful in achieving this outcome and yielding more certainty for market participants and the millions of consumers they serve.
“ACA looks forward to working with the Chairman and the entire Senate Committee on a number of issues important to independent cable operators — including program access, retransmission consent, set-top access mandates, and broadband-related matters – if not in the FCC reauthorization bill, then in a future piece of legislation.
“In particular, ACA is pleased that Sen. Thune’s bill will examine FCC regulatory fees. ACA has pointed out on several occasions that the FCC’s regulatory fee program has treated cable operators unfairly by exempting satellite TV providers from paying their fair share of the cost to support the regulatory activities of the FCC’s Media Bureau. Although the FCC has finally begun to reduce fee burdens on cable providers, Sen. Thune’s bill takes the right approach by requiring the Government Accountability Office to determine whether the current fee structure correlates to the actual workload of the FCC.”
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/