September 30, 2024—ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer released the following statement today regarding the announced merger between DirecTV and DISH.
“Today’s merger announcement by DirecTV and DISH only serves to confirm what we already knew – the traditional multichannel video business continues to erode. Yet, cable programmers and television broadcasters continue to seek to extract every last cent from pay-TV subscribers through punishing carriage fees while shifting premium content to platforms that compete with cable and satellite operators. If federal agencies want to preserve a competitive, fair, and vibrant video marketplace for American consumers, they must address the abusive practices of programmers exploiting an outdated business model.”
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association –America’s Communications Association – ACA Connects is a trade organization representing more than 500 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, video, and phone services covering 31.9 million households, 7.3 million of which are located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. ACA Connects Members operate in every state, providing advanced communications to connect homes, companies, main street, schools, hospitals and more. America’s economic prosperity in smaller communities and rural areas depends on the growth and success of ACA Connects Members, who believe a connected nation is a prosperous nation.