Members of the
American Cable Association
and the National
Cable Television Cooperative
are converging in San
Francisco from July 24-27
for the annual Independent
Show, to learn how
to take advantage of new
products and technologies
and attract the next
generation of customers.
This year’s theme, “Bridging
Opportunities,” will help members find ways to tap new
revenue streams online and in commercial services, as well
as to identify new demographic markets, said NCTC spokesman
Dan Mulvenon. Hot topics of conversation, he added,
are likely to be similar to those in other years — TV Everywhere,
programming costs and retransmission consent.
The conference will kick off on Sunday with a meeting of
the ACA’s board of directors, followed by a welcome party
at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.
FICKLE’S DEBUT
On Monday, newly minted NCTC CEO Rich Fickle will lead the
co-op’s annual meeting, updating members on key financial,
programming and hardware issues. Fickle, who was named
the co-op’s CEO in June, has been on the road all but four days
since his appointment
meeting with members,
Mulvenon added. Still, for
many of the membership,
it will be their first opportunity
to meet with Fickle
face to face.
Also on Monday, ACA
president Matt Polka will
update members on the
progress the organization
made during 2010-2011
and its plans for 2011-2012.
Monday’s Cable Leaders
panel will feature US Sonet and Lightspeed Telecom
co-founder and CEO John Andrews, Full Channel vice president
Levi Maaia, West Alabama TV Cable Co. general manager
Kyle South and Service Electric Cablevision senior vice
president Mark Walter talking about how to make the transition
to the next generation of family leadership, as well as to
the next generation of customers. Josh Shipp, star of Halogen
TV’s Jump Shipp, will discuss how to reach out to millenials.
Later Monday, Cinnamon Mueller senior counsel Barbara
Esbin, ACA vice present of government affairs Ross Lieberman
and others will discuss pressing regulatory issues such
as compliance with the Federal Communications Commission’s
Open Internet rules, preparing for the National EAS test
and rules around the CALM Act, which requires vide providers
to curb abrupt spikes in sound volume during commercials.
Tuesday will begin with another ACA regulatory forum,
this time on retransmission consent, led by Cinnamon
Mueller senior counsel Bruce Beard and Massillon Cable
TV president Bob Gessner. The panel will discuss tools that
members can use to get their own retransmission-consent
message out to customers, local officials and the press.
CUBAN KEYNOTE
HDNet founder and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will
be Tuesday’s keynote speaker, offering tips on Internet trends
and possibly some insight on the Mavericks’ championship
season. Cuban will be followed by a financial panel hosted by
Miller Tabak media analyst David Joyce and Media Metrics
founder and managing partner Laura Martin, offering their
analysis of cable trends.
On Wednesday, vice president, digital video distribution
Disney and ESPN Media Networks Tim Connolly and
Digital Networks Co. and NCTC senior vice president of
programming Frank Hughes will host a panel on online
content and closing the day will be “Metered Billing —
Taming the Bandwidth Beast,” featuring suppliers and
members who have set up metered billing and made it
work for their companies and their customers.
