June 29, 2017 - Capitol Hill Issue
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
ACA Applauds FCC On Giving Cable The Option To Email Annual Notices
ACA President & CEO Matthew M. Polka
American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement on June 20 regarding the Federal Communications Commission's June 19 determination that the "written information" that cable operators must provide to their subscribers via annual notices pursuant to Section 76.1602(b) of the FCC's rules may be provided via e-mail:

"As readers of this statement could certify, reception of important information through electronic means has become the norm for the vast majority of Americans.  ACA, therefore, applauds the FCC for amending its rules to give cable operators, pursuant to important consumer protections, the option to distribute required annual reports via email to their customers.  The FCC's order will reduce cost for cable operators, benefit the environment, and promote consumer convenience with regard to accessing key communications from cable operators."
ACA Members Describe Pole Access Problems That Deter Network Deployment
The American Cable Association is urging the Federal Communications Commission to strengthen its pole attachment rules to prevent dominant pole owners from imposing unreasonable fees and creating excessive delays that hobble communications providers seeking to invest capital in the deployment of broadband networks.

"The declarations of ACA members - who are investing in network upgrades and new deployments - provide abundant evidence that they continue to face hurdles in obtaining fair and reasonable access to poles and that the FCC needs to act in its Wireline Infrastructure rulemaking to remedy them.  By removing barriers to infrastructure investment and reforming rules that increase costs and slow network deployment as ACA details in its comments, the FCC will make the pole attachment process work better for attachers and utilities alike and foster the expansion of high-performance broadband service, including to rural and unserved areas," ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.   Read more

ACA: FCC Needs To Establish Regulatory Fee Parity Between Cable/IPTV and Big Satellite TV
The American Cable Association on June 22 called on the Federal Communications Commission to use this year's budget cycle to establish regulatory fee parity between cable/IPTV providers and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) giants AT&T/DirecTV and Dish Network.  Although ACA appreciates the steps the FCC has taken in the recent past, ACA remains concerned that without fee parity this year, cable/IPTV providers will continue to subsidize their much larger competitors without legal justification.

"There is no reason to delay further bringing DBS into full parity with cable/IPTV providers for fiscal 2017.  Cable, IPTV and DBS providers impose similar burdens on the FCC's Media Bureau staff.  It is inequitable to continue to assess fees in a manner that does not equitably distribute the regulatory fee burden among all MVPD payors that impose regulatory oversight burdens on Media Bureau employees," ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.   Read more

June 22: FCC Comments re Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2017
ACA Asks FCC To Speak To Recent State Action On ISPs' Measurement Of Broadband Speeds 
The American Cable Association is asking the Federal Communications Commission to address problems surrounding state-level enforcement actions seeking to impose different or inconsistent broadband speed metrics under state false advertising laws on broadband providers.  ACA explained this is a concern given these providers are complying with the FCC's uniform national regime for the measurement and disclosure of actual broadband speeds.

"The FCC should make clear that smaller broadband Internet service providers (ISPs) that act in accordance with the FCC's broadband speed measurement and disclosure requirements are following controlling federal law.  Smaller ISPs need the certainty that reliance on federal rules in consumer-facing statements is a defense to false advertising claims," ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.   Read more

June 16: FCC Comments re USTelecom/NCTA's Petition for Declaratory Ruling re Broadband Speed Disclosure Requirements
ACA Praises President Trump For Deciding To Nominate Jessica Rosenworcel To The FCC
Jessica Rosenworcel
American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement on June 14 regarding President Trump's decision to nominate Jessica Rosenworcel to the Federal Communications Commission:

"ACA praises President Trump for announcing his intent to nominate Jessica Rosenworcel to a new term at the Federal Communications Commission.  Her experience in communications law and regulation and her diligence in working through the issues are truly impressive.  ACA looks forward to working with Commissioner Rosenworcel at this critical time in the quest to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, high-performance broadband.  Upon her official nomination, ACA encourages the Senate to confirm her quickly."
THE INDEPENDENT SHOW COMES TO INDIANAPOLIS, JULY 23-26!
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) with ACA's Matthew Polka at the 2016 Independent Show
Now's the time to step on the gas. For the independent cable community, the place to do that, appropriately, is at this year's Independent Show in America's auto racing capital - Indianapolis, Ind., - from July 23 to July 26.

Video and broadband providers serving hometown USA see their industry moving at lightning speed, fueled by consumer demand for superfast Internet connections needed to stream Netflix, move files, photos and video clips from the cloud and back, and post to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

All of that activity - made possible by private capital investments in the most advanced broadband networks anywhere - requires industry leaders to have an abundance of knowledge, including about the new political landscape in Washington, D.C. after last fall's surprise election results. It also requires awareness of the competitive products and solutions critical to meeting the needs of today's customers.

And the best place to do that? At this year's 12th annual Independent Show, hosted by the American Cable Association and the National Cable Television Cooperative.

Indianapolis is where independent cable and broadband providers will gather alongside content distributors, vendors and industry professionals for the very best in terms of public policy updates from
ACA leaders, educational sessions and networking events found anywhere in the communications sector.

Planners expect another busy exhibit floor in Indianapolis
We hope you will join us for this year's conference, where you'll have the opportunity to learn from expert presenters on key topics impacting your businesses while networking with other innovators and decision makers in our industry.

We'll see you in Indianapolis!

For all the key details related to event registration, hotels and the full agenda, please visit The Independent Show website by clicking here.
NEWS HEADLINES
Following a deep analysis of its next-generation network options, MCTV has opted to go with an ambitious fiber-to-the-premises deployment that will result in a GPON network that will overlay its existing hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) plant. The initiative, branded by MCTV as "Excellerate," will initially focus on speedy broadband services and will essentially sidestep a move to DOCSIS 3.1.
Armstrong, RCN Lead As Most Popular Pay-TV Ops (Fierce Cable, 6/20)
Chattanooga, Tennessee-based municipal broadband provider EPB, regional cable operators Armstrong, Consolidated and RCN, and Google Fiber scored highest in customer satisfaction in a survey of 210,000 pay-TV subscribers conducted by Consumer Reports.
Analyst Sees Hot Summer For Cable Consolidation (B&C, 6/23)
Macquarie Capital media analyst Amy Yong predicted a strong round of consolidation as the weather heats up and as new IPOs from WideOpenWest and Altice USA provide new currencies for deals.
Charter Wants To Buy Cox Cable (N.Y. Post, 6/21)
The upcoming season for cable TV could see yet another merger. Charter Communications - the nationwide cable giant whose properties include Spectrum, formerly Time Warner Cable - is weighing a fresh plan to acquire Atlanta-based Cox Communications.
Dem Sens. Warn Against AT&T-Time Warner (Media Post, 6/21)
AT&T's planned $85 billion merger with Time Warner will lead to "higher prices, fewer choices, and worse service for consumers," 11 senators warn in a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The lawmakers are urging the Department of Justice to "closely scrutinize" the deal and reject the merger if they find that the substantial harms.
Pats Owner: NFL Future Is Through Livestreaming (N.Y. Post, 6/23)
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the future of NFL broadcasts is in "over the top" deals like the livestreaming agreement the NFL signed with Amazon this spring.
A $10 Non-Sports Bundle Would Attract 4.6M New Subs (Fierce Cable, 6/22)
An entertainment-only channel bundle priced around $10 has the potential to draw 4.6 million new subscribers into the pay-TV ecosystem, analyst firm MoffettNathanson says.
Comcast Debuts DOCSIS 3.1 In Boston (CED, 6/24)
Comcast has debuted a new internet service in Boston that uses DOCSIS 3.1 to deliver speeds up to 1 Gbps to residential customers. It said the new service will offer a significant boost over old speeds.
Amazon To Charge $2.8 Million For NFL Ad Packages (Reuters, 6/22)
Amazon.com Inc is looking to charge advertisers $2.8 million for packages that include 30-second spots during the Thursday night National Football League games it will stream live to its Prime customers this coming season.
Moffett Downgrades Comcast, Cable Industry To 'Neutral' (Fierce Cable, 6/20)
The cable industry's days of flying under Wall Street's radar with an underappreciated "infrastructure advantage" are over, argues MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett, who downgraded the cable industry, and its leading operator, to "neutral" trading status today.
ACACTION BRIEF TOP THREE
Most-Clicked Links From June 14 ACAction Brief
ABOUT THE AMERICAN CABLE ASSOCIATION
Across this vast country, small and rural markets participate in the digital revolution by receiving video, broadband, and phone services from nearly 800 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 nearly 7 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
Ross Lieberman, SVP Government Affairs
202-494-5661 | r [email protected] 
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