February 23, 2012

In Response To Demand, ACA Unveils $129 Day Pass For ACA Summit 2012 In Washington, D.C.

PITTSBURGH, February 23, 2012 – The American Cable Association announced today that in response to demand, the trade group has for the first time made available a $129 day pass for individuals interested in the public policy program slated for Wednesday, March 14.

With the day pass, attendees are entitled to join ACA members and vendors for a communications policy discussion with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, a congressional keynote address by U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and a lively panel discussion between representatives of the cable and broadcasting industries on retransmission consent, one of the hottest issues facing the independent cable community.  Moreover, ACA Chairwoman Colleen Abdoulah, Chairwoman and CEO of WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone, will offer welcoming remarks to this year’s gathering of hundreds of attendees.

“ACA is pleased to make a day pass available for individuals that wish to spend this special day with us and hear from the leading policymakers and industry representatives who are helping to shape the telecommunications landscape during one of the most dynamic times in our industry.  Attendees will also gain a better understanding of the key regulatory issues that challenge broadband, video, and voice providers every day, particularly those that are small and independent and serve in competitive markets,” ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.

The retransmission consent panel will include two experts each from the cable and broadcast industries, including:  Barbara Esbin, D.C. Office Managing Partner, Cinnamon Mueller; Cristina Pauze, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Time Warner Cable;  Antionette Cook Bush, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; and, John Hane, Counsel, Winthrop Shaw Pittman. The panel will be moderated by journalist John Ourand, Media Reporter for SportsBusiness Journal. 

Under the $129 day pass ACA is offering, individuals who sign up are welcome to attend all scheduled events from 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on March 14, which includes lunch as well as unrestricted access to the adjacent vendor exhibit hall.

Exhibitors with booths at the vendor exhibit hall include ad sales organization Viamedia and programmers like FOX Networks, NBCUniversal, and Outdoor Channel plus consumer electronics manufacturers like Motorola and other businesses involved in the communications industry, including banks, law firms, and trade publications.

The day pass is available only to individuals who wish to attend for informational or educational purposes.  Solicitation of names and addresses of attendees for business purposes, distribution of commercial literature, or the sale or distribution of goods or services is strictly prohibited by individuals attending with a day pass.  

To learn more about the public portion of ACA Summit 2012 and to register please visit: ACASummit.org.

The ACA Summit, which is the cable industry’s marquee event for independent cable operators, will take place March 13-15 at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Washington, D.C.  The Summit is a unique opportunity for the leaders of companies that serve hometown America with advanced communications services to exchange public policy ideas with the Obama Administration, Capitol Hill lawmakers and senior FCC officials.

This year’s ACA Summit is our 19th, extending a tradition as the most important forum nationally to honor the critical role performed by independent cable operators that serve remote regions of the country with world-class voice, video and broadband Internet services.

The theme for this year’s show is “Geared Up For Progress,” underscoring ACA’s firm commitment to finding consensus that leads to progress on many critical issues, especially retransmission consent, broadband deployment and access to content on fair and reasonable terms.

ACA is currently seeking exhibitors and sponsors for the event.  Interested parties should contact Stacey Leech at [email protected] or (412)-922-8300, ext. 15.

Further information about the ACA Summit 2012 agenda and the exciting lineup of speakers will be made available on the ACA Summit 2012 website closer to the time of the event.

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/