Seven ACA Members Named Cable Television Pioneers

ACA and its Members Congratulate these Inductees and its President for Industry Honor

Pittsburgh, Pa., March 3, 2009 – The American Cable Association (ACA) and its more than 900 members around the country congratulated seven of their fellow members, and ACA’s President and CEO, Matthew M. Polka, today for being named an inductee to the 2009 class of Cable Television Pioneers. Founded in 1966, the Cable Television Pioneers is an independent organization of individuals recognized and honored for their contribution to the cable television industry.

Individuals affiliated with ACA included in the 2009 class include:

William C. Beaty, Jr.
Comporium Communications
Rock Hill, SC

Steve V. Bell II
Boycom Cablevision, Inc.
Poplar Bluff, MO

Daniel Casciato
Ovation TV
Downers Grove, IL

Michael Wayne Drake
Milestone Communications, Inc.
Castle Pines North, CO

Chuck Davis
TV Cable of Grayson County
Pottsboro, TX

Richard Gessner
Massillon Cable TV
Massillon, OH

Matthew M. Polka
American Cable Association
Pittsburgh, PA

Jeffrey C. Wayne
Outdoor Channel
Littleton, CO

“All of us at ACA congratulate our many members that have been named ‘Pioneers’ in the Class of 2009 because they exemplify the continuing entrepreneurial spirit of the independent cable operator,” said Steve Friedman, Chairman of the American Cable Association Board and Chief Operating Officer for Wave Broadband.  “The Pioneers are a group steeped in the history of this industry.  They represent where we have been and where we are going.  We are also particularly proud that Matt Polka, our association’s President, is joining their ranks and congratulate him on this achievement.  Matt has been a stalwart leader for ACA and its members for more than a decade, and it’s fitting that he will now be honored by our industry as a cable pioneer.”

Since joining the American Cable Association in 1997, Polka has spearheaded the more than 900-member non-profit association’s government relations efforts and industry wide agenda. Dedicated to serving the needs of independent, smaller and medium-sized cable businesses, the ACA represents more than 7 million subscribers nationally and is the only group of its kind solely representing the concerns of independent cable businesses before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, and other federal agencies.  Prior to joining ACA, Polka was the Vice President and General Counsel of Star Cable Associates, one of the nation’s top-100 multiple-system cable companies.

In 1984, a group of Pioneers founded The National Cable Telecommunications Center and Museum in Pennsylvania, and charged it with telling the story of cable. In 1997 the Founders relocated the Museum to Denver. The Museum officially broke ground in 1999 for the current building and opened its doors to the public in August 2001. The name was officially changed to The Cable Center in 2002.  Over the years, the Pioneer organization has grown to more than 500 members.

ACA’s members and Polka will be officially inducted into the Cable Television Pioneers during the annual Pioneers Banquet in Washington D.C. April 1^st.

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About the American Cable Association

Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing more than 900 smaller and medium-sized, independent cable companies who provide broadband services for more than 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/.