ACA Heartened By Nomination Of Thomas Wheeler As FCC Chairman
American Cable
Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued May 1 the 
following
statement on President Barack Obama’s decision to nominate Thomas Wheeler as
Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission:
“The
American Cable Association is heartened that the President has nominated
someone as competent as Tom Wheeler to be Chairman of the Federal
Communications Commission. He has spent his career in the communications
industry – running a company that invests in new entrants in the high-tech
field, representing vital industry sectors, and serving on government panels.
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ACA's advocacy is based on telling the stories of our cable operator members to policymakers in Washington. Hearing how public policy issues impact you and your business is very important.
So important, in fact, that we're offering a free, ALL EXPENSE PAID TRIP to the ACA Summit to the cable operator that shares the most compelling story. The prize, valued at more than $1,500, includes roundtrip airfare, lodging at the Gaylord National Resort, and registration at the ACA Summit, including meals. The deadline to submit your story is Tuesday, March 26. For additional information and official contest rules, click here.
Canby Telcom (Oregon City, OR)
We thought we'd be lucky enough to avoid getting into any retransmission consent disputes during this round of talks, but we never expected to see the sorts of demands that were being put forth by Fisher Communications. The broadcaster demanded substantially higher fees than those being requested by the other station owners in our Portland, Oregon market. We were also told that their ABC affiliated would be yanked from our channel lineup unless we agreed to all of their prices, terms, and conditions.
DTV Transition to be Delayed until June 12; Some Stations may Switch Earlier
The DTV delay bill, expected to be signed by the President, says stations may make the switch to digital before the June date, meaning there could be a rolling transition in some markets. However, the FCC retains the right to deny a broadcaster's request if it's not found to be in the public interest. Since the bill's passage, hundreds of stations have expressed interest in staying on track to transition in February.
DTV Transition Date Delayed, Stations Still Have Option to Switch on Feb. 17
Congressed passed a bill on January 28th to delay the transition from analog to digital television until June 12; however, the FCC said that those stations that wish to make the transition on February 17, the original date for the DTV switch, will have an option to do so.
ACA Lauds Chairmen Rockefeller and Waxman for Their Stance on Stimulus for Broadband Access
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Hiawatha Broadband Communications (Winona, MN)
It may be seem incongruous with the concept of localism, butexisting Federal rules and regulations hamper my company's ability to offer itscustomers, all of whom reside in Minnesota,with broadcast stations that provide their state's news, weather and sports.
~ Gary Evans, CEO
Top Ten Key Developments of 2008 - #2
ACA Filing Encourages FCC to Examine Programmers and Broadcasters Practice of Tying and Bundling
January 10, 2008
On Thursday, January 3, ACA urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt changes to existing regulations to provide independent operators with more flexibility to provide consumers with choices and better value. ACA's filing comes in response to the FCC's request for comments in its rulemaking on the retransmission consent and program access rules.
Top Ten Key Developments of 2008 - #1
FCC Adopts Digital Must Carry Exemption for Small Cable Operators
August 26, 2008
On August 21, the FCC adopted an Order providing an exemption for small cable systems from the onerous digital must carry requirements after the digital transition set for February 17, 2009. This action comes after more than a year-long campaign by the ACA, which included numerous meetings and filings with the FCC and Congress.
Cable Story: Sunrise Communications (Onaway, MI)
"Our small size would make it difficult to handle a dual carriage obligation. I don't know how an operator in our situation affords the headend equipment and other costs."
Member Profile: Trust Communications (Jackson, MS)
"Year
after year, the broadcasters and programmers put pressure on our
company to add their affiliated networks to my basic programming
package resulting in a more bloated, costly tier with channels that my
customers neither want nor can afford. Most of our
Communication's customers in rural communities are satisfied receiving
only 65 channels as basic, especially those in low income areas - not
everyone wants to pay for 125 channels."
CableCo dba TVision (Colorado Springs, CO)
With the upcoming round of retransmission consent negotiations, we know that we'll be forced to pay fees to broadcasters for the first time, and unfortunately our customers will have to foot the bill. As a small cable operator, programming is our already largest expense by far, and we simply cannot absorb any more increases in our carriage fees.
~David Shipley, Business Manager
Independent cable operators face unique challenges that require special consideration by the FCC in terms of how it deals with the digital television transition to ensure requirements do not impact the consumers or communities served - specifically, the digital must-carry requirements. Read More
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In order for small cable operators to provide their customers with popular programming, large programmers often make them provide undesired programming on their most widely subscribed to tiers. Consumers pay the price for this abusive practice with higher cable rates and programming that is not aligned with their interests. Read More
» Key Developments
» Press Releases
» Headlines
» Filings, Testimonies, and Letters
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When broadcasters abuse their market power to demand exorbitant fees from cable operators who want to offer their signals, consumers always pay the price. Broadcasters often discriminate against small and medium-sized cable operators, extracting retransmission consent fees at substantially higher per-subscriber rates than charged larger providers. Read More
» Key Developments
» Press Releases
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» Write to Congress
» Write a Letter to the Editor
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In order to protect the interests of independent cable operators, it is essential that members of Congress understand and respect the important role that ACA's more than 900 small and medium sized companies play in delivering communications services to more than 7 million households across the United States.
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