January 13, 2025—ACA Connects announced today C-SPAN CEO Sam Feist will join Lou Borrelli, CEO of the National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC), for a fireside chat at the ACA Connects Annual Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 5, 2025. This annual fly-in event attracts broadband and video providers from across the country.
The pair will take the main stage to discuss C-SPAN’s evolving approach to covering Congress and other critical public policy forums. Feist and Borrelli will discuss the new investments and strategies behind C-SPAN’s refreshed brand, Democracy Unfiltered. This initiative aims to reflect what’s new in America while continuing to serve as a vehicle for Washington to reach the American people.
As CEO, Feist is responsible for guiding C-SPAN’s transparent, unfiltered, and unbiased coverage of politics and government affairs. He began this role in September 2024 after a distinguished career at CNN, where he most recently served as the Washington bureau chief and senior vice president.
In that role, he oversaw CNN’s political and Washington coverage and led strategic business initiatives that enhanced CNN’s presence in the media landscape. At CNN, Feist produced or oversaw the production of such programs as Inside Politics, Crossfire, The Capital Gang, State of the Union, and The Situation Room. For twenty years, he was responsible for projecting the winners for CNN on election night.
“C-SPAN is providing a transparent and unfiltered view of Congress and other government proceedings that the American people can’t find anywhere else. It’s an essential feature to our representative government,” said ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer. “I’m thrilled Sam is joining us at this year’s Summit. I look forward to hearing more about how he is imagining the possibilities of reaching new audiences and upholding C-SPAN’s critical mission in public service.”
“Created by the cable industry 45 years ago, C-SPAN provides Americans unfiltered access to its government in real time without opinion or bias. In these challenging times, C-SPAN is an essential service. Sam Feist, as the new custodian of this legacy, is a perfect choice to lead this treasured institution, and I am excited to have him share his vision for the future of C-SPAN on the ACAC Summit ’25 stage,” says NCTC CEO Lou Borrelli.
The ACA Connects Annual Summit is a yearly gathering that provides a forum to its Members to gain insight into business trends and policy developments, advocate for a level playing field, and engage with policymakers and industry leaders.
The theme for this year’s Summit is “Imagine the Possibilities.” The event will take place March 4-6, 2025, at the Grand Hyatt, 1000 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington was previously announced as a keynote speaker. More speakers are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Members of the press interested in attending #Summit2025 should contact Olivia Shields at [email protected].
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 29.5 million households. 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.