July 17, 2017 - Capitol Hill
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
ACA Pleased Court Affirmed FCC's Finding That Cable Operators Are Subject To Effective Competition Nationally
American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement on July 7 regarding the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that affirmed the Federal Communications Commission's order finding that cable operators are subject to effective competition nationally:

"ACA is pleased with the Court's decision affirming the FCC's 2015 Order that established a presumption that cable operators now face 'effective competition' nationally.  In today's market, consumers have at least three choices for traditional pay-television service and can elect to subscribe to many online video services, like Netflix and Hulu. There is no longer any good reason that cable operators should remain subject to burdensome rate regulation. ACA is also pleased to see that broadcasters' attempts to maintain unnecessary and unwarranted regulatory handcuffs on cable operators have been thwarted." Read more
ACA Supports President Trump For His Intention To Nominate Brendan Carr To Serve On The FCC
Brendan Carr
American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement on June 29 regarding President Donald J. Trump's intention to nominate Brendan Carr to serve on the Federal Communications Commission:

"ACA believes Brendan Carr is an excellent choice to serve on the FCC, and we support President Trump for making this nomination. Brendan Carr is a highly regarded attorney with a wide-ranging understanding of modern communications law and regulation. His addition will enhance the FCC's ability to arrive at sound policy conclusions that will serve the public interest, particularly with regard to ensuring that all Americans, wherever they may live, have a robust connection to the Internet.

"ACA looks forward to working not only with Brendan Carr but also with FCC Commissioner-designate Jessica Rosenworcel after both have been confirmed by the Senate. ACA urges the Senate to act on these nominations expeditiously."
ACA Calls On FCC To Clear Out Regulatory Underbrush
The American Cable Association is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to abolish or modify a host of cable regulations that are no longer necessary or are unduly burdensome, particularly for smaller operators, to advance the goal of reducing regulations and undue burdens that can stand in the way of network expansion and innovation in media markets.

"ACA applauds the FCC's initiative to seek industry comment on clearing the regulatory underbrush that has accumulated over decades of FCC regulation of cable operators. Review, elimination or modification of the regulations ACA has identified will provide meaningful relief and allow smaller cable operators to focus their limited resources on service innovations and broadband network deployment, rather than regulatory red-tape, without any diminution in service quality or customer care" ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said. Read more
ACA: Dish, DirecTV's Opposition To Minor Increase In FCC Reg Fees Lacks Merit
The American Cable Association called on the Federal Communications Commission to move forward with plans to raise Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) regulatory fees by a slight amount, disputing AT&T/DirecTV and Dish Network's flaccid claims that the proposed increase will harm consumers and lacks justification.

"AT&T and DISH have provided no basis for the FCC to withhold from increasing the fee level assessed to the DBS providers for fiscal 2017. The proposed increase will not harm DBS subscribers. It is also justified given DBS providers participate in and benefit from the Media Bureau's multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) proceedings and other activities on par with cable and IPTV providers," ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.

For fiscal 2017, the FCC wants to raise the DBS contribution by 11 cents to bring this fee category closer to parity with the cable/ IPTV provider fee category.  With this DBS fee increase, cable/IPTV providers will still pay 150% more than DirecTV and Dish per subscriber -- or 96 cents for cable/IPTV compared to 38 cents for DBS annually. Read more

ACA Filing 7/7:  FCC Reply Comments re Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2017
ACA FILINGS
ACA has been actively representing independent cable in many other ways and on many issues in Washington, D.C. Those efforts are described in the filings, letters, and testimonies linked below for your review.
For all ACA filings, testimonies and letters, please visit the ACA website 
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
John Oliver Hits Sinclair Broadcast Group For Bias (The Hill, 7/3)
Comedian John Oliver is taking aim at Sinclair Broadcast Group, accusing the local television giant of conservative bias. His criticisms also come at a critical time for Sinclair, which is on the verge of a $3.9
billion merger with Tribune Media that would significantly consolidate local television networks.
New FCC: Who Is Brendan Carr? (Cablefax, 6/30)
No eyebrows were raised over news Wednesday night that President Trump intends to nominate FCC general counsel Brendan Carr to fill the empty Republican Commission seat. While the move has been expected for weeks, Carr isn't especially well known-at least among cable's Washington crowd.
Verizon To FCC: Don't Treat OTT Like Cable (Light Reading, 7/7)
The threat of heavy regulation in the pay-TV market may have dropped through the floor since a change in leadership at the FCC this year, but industry stalwarts still want assurances that they won't be subjected to legacy rules and regs in today's era of Internet video.
Huge Payday Awaits Tribune Media Execs (Robert Feder, 7/7)
Sinclair disclosed plans for generous severance payments to top Tribune execs when they exit the company after the merger is completed. They include: Edward Lazarus, EVP & General Counsel: $9.7 million; Chandler Bigelow, EVP & CFO: $9.2 million; and Larry Wert, President broadcast media: $7.8 million.
Cable Nets Running Out Of Ways To Justify Higher Fees (Fierce Cable, 7/7)
Cable networks are going to find it harder and harder to justify raising distribution costs for TV providers, according to BTIG analyst Rich Greenfieldm. His contributing factors were secular decline in pay-TV subscribers and TV advertising, as well as "TV advertising softening as ratings fall off a proverbial cliff."
Liberty Interactive To Buy HSN In Deal Valued At $2.1 Billion (CNBC, 7/6)
QVC just made a deal to buy its biggest rival, the Home Shopping Network. Liberty Interactive will purchase the 62 percent of HSNi that it didn't already own in an all-stock deal valued at $2.1 billion.
Is Verizon Really Eyeing Disney? (Deadline, 7/6)
Wall Street analysts usually find gentle ways to tell clients when they consider a deal rumor in the press beyond the pale. But one media watcher didn't hold back this morning in a note challenging a New York Post story over the weekend that said Verizon "may be eyeing a Disney purchase."
PlayStation Vue Adds 17 Local Fox Affiliates (Awful Announcing, 7/6)
As streaming services battle to gain subscribers, Sony's PlayStation Vue has announced that it has signed 17 local Fox affiliates across the country to join its service. The minarets include Cleveland, Denver, Pittsburgh, Portland, OR, Seattle and St. Louis.
Yelp's Six-Year Grudge Against Google (N.Y. Times, 7/3)
Jeremy Stoppelman, chief executive of Yelp, the local search and reviewing site, would like this article to be focused on his company's growth, or on how its reviews help independent businesses, or on pretty much anything besides what it is about: how Yelp became Google's most tenacious pest.
Frontier Bet Big On Landlines...And Lost (Fox Business, 7/7)
Frontier Communications' big bets on landlines are unraveling. The once small phone company amassed $17 billion in debt by scooping up networks across the country. Frontier has been losing customers and scrambling to cover looming debt payments.
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 |  [email protected]  
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