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Colleen Abdoulah, Chairwoman & CEO of WOW!, Named ACA Vice Chairwoman
Colleen Abdoulah, Chairwoman & CEO of WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone, has been named Vice Chairwoman of the American Cable Association, the second-highest leadership position in the organization that was held by James Bruder, CEO of Harron Communications, for the past four years, the trade group announced.
"Colleen is one of the most talented and visionary executives in the cable television industry, and I congratulate her on being named ACA's new Vice Chairwoman. I truly appreciate that Colleen is so willing to assume such an important role with so much at stake for ACA members and the millions of consumers they serve in hometown America," ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.
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ACA Urges FCC To Create Fiscally And Competitively Sound Broadband Fund
In general support of government plans to offer all Americans affordable broadband Internet access, the American Cable Association provided comment on April 18 that includes recommendations on how best to structure the new Connect America Fund for broadband support proposed by the Federal Communications Commission. ACA urged the FCC to rebalance its proposals to ensure that the new fund will be fiscally responsible and competitively neutral.
"ACA endorses the FCC's effort to design Universal Service Fund programs that embrace affordable and universal broadband as the primary objective. Because taxpayer dollars support the USF program, it is critical for the FCC to create a broadband fund that is efficient and does not skew local markets by funding providers whose direct competitors are unable to receive USF money," ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.
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ACA Presses FCC To Block TV Station Triopoly In Topeka, Kansas
The American Cable Association is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to prevent the possibility of a massive TV signal blackout in the Topeka, Kansas, market very early next year by disallowing the local ABC affiliate from jointly negotiating retransmission consent with any other station in the market.
"Come the end of the year when carriage contracts are set to expire, several ACA members serving thousands of Topeka consumers could lose access to the ABC, NBC and FOX stations all at once, if the FCC permits these economically dominant stations to act as a triopoly in negotiating retransmission consent," ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said. "With the loss of three Big Four stations an unacceptable business risk, ACA members would be forced to bow to the Topeka triopoly's `blackout or blackmail' strategy and would end up paying much higher fees for retransmission consent than if they had been able to negotiate with each station separately."
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ACA Comments On Cost Burdens Of FCC Open Internet Rules
Responding to the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet rules, the American Cable Association believes the agency has substantially underestimated the likely information collection burdens on small cable operators that will need to answer complaints and disclose their network management practices.
“While ACA is pleased that the FCC declined to require our members to comply with Title II common carrier rules, the FCC should ensure that compliance costs with its Open Internet framework are kept to a minimum and do not disproportionately burden small, independent cable operators,” ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka.
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| News Headlines |
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- Sprint CEO Blasts AT&T/T-Mobile Mega-Deal (Reuters, 4/15)
Sprint Nextel Corp CEO Dan Hesse attacked rival AT&T Inc's planned acquisition of T-Mobile USA on Friday, saying a tie-up between the two would hurt innovation and set the country's wireless industry back.
- AT&T's $39 Billion T-Mobile Deal Faces Coordinated Review, Official Says (Bloomberg, 4/14)
AT&T Inc. (T)’s proposed purchase of T- Mobile USA Inc. faces a coordinated review by antitrust and communications agencies, a U.S. official said today.
- A Study From A Cable Broadband Trade Group Finds That 85 Percent of Households In Three Projects Already Have Service (CIO, 4/14)
Three large broadband projects funded recently by the U.S. Rural Utilities Service (RUS) largely cover areas already served by broadband providers, according to a study released Wednesday by a trade group representing cable broadband providers.
- CBS, NBC Affiliates Say Fair Compensation For Spectrum Harms Might Be 'Impossible' (The Hill, 4/13)
As the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) meets in Las Vegas this week, the fight for fair spectrum policies continued back in Washington.
- FCC Head Says Mergers Can't Solve Spectrum Crunch (Reuters, 4/13)
"That argument shortchanges rural America, and it shortchanges urban America," he said. "The data that we've pointed to makes it crystal clear that there is a looming spectrum crunch."
- Fox Making Headway On New Affiliation Deals (Los Angeles Times, 4/13)
News Corp.'s Fox is making headway on its aggressive plan to have its affiliates pay more money to be part of the network.
- NAB's Smith: Free TV Doesn't Mean Same For Cable (Multichannel News, 4/12)
National Association of Broadcasters chairman Gordon Smith took aim at cable operators in defense of retrans payments.
- FCC Chairman Genachowski And Top Lobbyist For Broadcasters Clash Over Need For A Spectrum Auction (Los Angeles Times, 4/12)
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and the top lobbyist for broadcasters disagreed over the need for a spectrum auction during back-to-back speeches at the National Assn. of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, a gathering that brings together top television executives and Washington lawmakers and lobbyists.
- Senators Introduce Internet Privacy Bill (The Washington Post, 4/12)
Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Az.) introduced an Internet privacy “Bill of Rights” Tuesday that aims to protect sensitive information about users online.
- FCC OK's LIN TV Duopolies Over Time Warner Cable's Objections (RBR.com, 4/11)
LIN Television Corporation is buying all of one ACME television station and a large chunk of another. Both deals drew opposition from Time Warner Cable, which fears that LIN will leverage the stations with in-market duopoly partners during retransmission negotiations.
- FCC Revamps Pole-Attachment Rules For Broadband Services (PCWorld, 4/7)
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has voted to revamp nationwide rules governing how broadband providers can attach their lines to utility poles, with the goal of making it faster and easier to deploy new service in underserved areas.
For more news, visit the Headlines Page on the ACA website.
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| About ACA |
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Across this vast country, small and rural markets participate in the digital revolution by receiving video, broadband, and phone services from nearly 900 small and medium-sized independent operators represented by the American Cable Association (ACA).
ACA’s members -- cable, phone, and fiber-to-the-home operators and municipalities -- deliver affordable basic and advanced services to about 7.6 million households and businesses. ACA members operate in every state, offering high-definition television, next generation Internet access, and digital phone service.
Access to advanced communications is not a luxury but a critical necessity for consumers and companies, schools and hospitals. America’s economic prosperity in smaller markets and rural areas depends on the growth and success of ACA members, who believe a connected nation, is a united nation.
The ACA asks lawmakers and regulators to ensure fair treatment so that small and medium-sized independent operators may continue to supply affordable video, broadband, and phone services to Main Street America. Through active participation in the policymaking process, ACA members and leaders advocate for the interests of their customers, their companies, and their communities to help ensure the continued viability of their way of life in hometown America.
For more information, visit www.americancable.org, or contact:
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