Pamela Gillies
Vice President of Marketing & Communications
National Cable Television Cooperative
[email protected]
(720) 594-8085
Day One Virtual Conference Documents Pandemic Response By Industry
PITTSBURGH, PA. and LENEXA, KAN. September 29, 2020 – Gathering together the independent broadband industry membership, the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) and ACA Connects-America’s Communications Association (ACAC or ACA Connects) today launched the Independent Show produced virtually because of the pandemic crisis.
Co-hosted by NCTC and ACA Connects, this year’s TIS is the result of cooperation across production schedules and multiple time zones. The three-day Independent Show online schedule continues on Sept.30 and Oct.1, providing daily two-hour block sessions from 1:00 p.m. ET to 3:00 pm ET.
“We are very pleased with the response to this curated conference. Our members have coped with complex financial, technology and policy issues, and our program provides resources they need during this uncertain time,” said Rich Fickle, NCTC CEO & President. “We expect the next two days to deliver even more to our members.”
“We want to thank our members, as well as our programming and technology companies, who worked so diligently to produce this virtual conference. Their enthusiasm and commitments were the foundation to this year’s TIS,” ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.
NCTC and ACAC were especially honored to welcome Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai virtually to TIS 2020. Their remarks in the Opening Video recognized the independent broadband industry for its leadership during this pandemic.
The video that opened TIS saluted all ACAC and NCTC members who stepped up to “Keep Americans Connected” and developed creative methods to serve their customers in a safe and effective manner.
A virtual panel of industry CEOs updated reports on operations and outlooks during the pandemic and addressed investments, regulatory concerns, and a look at future broadband and video services.
Participating CEOs included: Julie Laulis, President and CEO of Cable One; Frank van der Post, President of Atlantic Broadband; ACA Connects Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers, President of BOYCOM; Katie Espeseth, Vice President of New Products, EPB; Kristin Johnson, CEO of Hotwire Communications; Katherine Gessner, President of MCTV; Ben Kley, President & General Manager of Stratus IQ; Jim Gleason, President & CEO of Vast Broadband; Phil Spencer, President & CEO of Vyve Broadband; Teresa Elder, CEO of WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone; and Harold Zeitz, CEO of Ziply Fiber.
TIS 2020’s first day included an overview from financial experts. Economist Marci Rossell shared her insights on the current economic environment including the disruption of COVID-19, while Spencer Kurn of New Street Research reviewed trends in PayTV, OTT, broadband, and new technology enabled competitors.
ACA Connects concluded the first day of the virtual conference with a detailed discussion on retransmission consent topics, moderated by ACA Connects Executive Vice President John Higginbotham.
Panelists included Ross Lieberman, ACA Connects Senior Vice President; David Goodfriend, founder of Locast; Bruce Beard, attorney with Cinnamon Mueller; and Mike Nilsson, attorney with Harris Wiltshire & Grannis. The panel reviewed the Locast lawsuit and the status of the new retransmission consent buying group rules and how group negotiations may look different in 2020 and beyond.
To follow this year’s Independent Show on social media, please refer to these links for assistance: