Praise for National Cable & Telecommunications
Association President Kyle McSlarrow quickly followed the news Friday that
he would be leaving next spring for a job--yet-to-be-determined--in the
industry he has been championing in the halls of Congress and the FCC.
"Kyle has been a tremendous leader and invaluable
source of guidance and innovative thinking as our industry has faced a time of
rapid change and public policy debate," said Brian Roberts, chairman of
Comcast, NCTA's largest member. "Kyle has earned wide respect
from the Washington community and is a true friend and colleague to cable and
to Comcast."
"We are grateful for Kyle's leadership and
strategic vision, which have guided the NCTA and the industry through a
time of great change," said Glenn Britt, chairman of the second biggest
cable company, Time Warner Cable. "Kyle is respected as a tough but fair
advocate for the issues critical to the success of the cable industry, and we
wish him luck with his future endeavors."
Praise came from the programming side as well.
"Kyle has been an outstanding leader and representative for NCTA and the
cable industry over the past six years," said Discovery President David
Zaslav, "and he has also been a great partner for programmers and content
providers like Discovery, helping to put our interests at the center of the
agenda. We will certainly miss Kyle's vision and guidance as the leader of
NCTA, but we are fortunate that he plans to remain a part of the industry."
His opposite numbers at other Washington
communications associations joined in the applause.
"Over the years, Kyle and I devoted a lot of
time and energy to building a strong personal relationship, one that allowed
both organizations to grow and prosper as well as craft creative solutions to
important public policy questions," said American Cable Association
President Matt Polka. "As President and CEO of the National Cable &
Telecommunications Association for the past five years, Kyle deserves enormous
praise for reaching out to ACA's leadership and
recognizing that the independent operator community is an important part of the
cable industry. Whether the issue was digital television, set-top boxes, or
broadband stimulus funding, NCTA and ACA worked together to achieve
results that struck an appropriate balance between the needs of government and
the concerns of private industry...."
"Kyle McSlarrow has served NCTA
with class, distinction and integrity," said NAB President Gordon Smith.
"He was particularly gracious to me when I made the transition from
Capitol Hill to NAB, and I will forever be grateful for his wise counsel and
friendship. We wish him well as he segues into another leadership role in the
cable industry."
"On behalf of the leaders, members and all
stakeholders at Women in Cable Telecommunications, we would like to express our
support and appreciation for all that Kyle McSlarrow has done during his
leadership at NCTA to support industry diversity and inclusion. We look
forward to continuing to work with Mr. McSlarrow and NCTA both during
his transition and thereafter," said Maria Brennan, president of Women In
Cable Telecommunications. "All of us at WICT are delighted that Mr. McSlarrow
will continue his career in the cable industry that he calls home."
