In this new ACA Connects podcast episode, ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka has a chat with Diane Christman, who is Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer at the Cable Center in Denver. Among other things, Diane oversees the center’s Hauser Oral History Project, which includes more than 400 interviews with cable industry insiders spanning the decades. Would you believe the longest interview on file runs more than 11 hours! “There are so many stories. But I think the common thread is grit and determination and a willingness to kind of think outside the box. They are superfun to listen to,” Diane says. Diane also explains the center’s “Intrepreneurship Academy.” That’s right, “Intrepreneurship,” not “Entrepreneurship.” The IA program is designed to empower younger workers to be more creative and innovative in the workplace in an effort to expand their decisionmaking authority within their firms. So far, the program has 92 graduates. The podcast was recorded in late July at the ACA Connects booth on the exhibit floor at The Independent Show in Chicago.

Matt Polka sits down with Duke Wimberly of RideTV's Cowgirls at this year's Independent Show in Chicago, IL.

Matt Polka sits down with CCSA's Jay Thomson at this year's Independent Show in Chicago.

Matt Polka sits down at this year's Independent Show with two industry leaders, Todd Schurz of Schurz Communications and Katherine Gessner of MCTV in Ohio to discuss current industry topics.

Matt Polka sits down at this year's Independent Show in Chicago, IL to discuss the industry's current topics with three of ACA Connects' leaders.

In this episode of DC2U, ACA Connects’ podcast and videocast, ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka hosts Rep. Bill Johnson, Republican of Ohio and a member of the House Communications & Technology Subcommittee. Rep. Johnson, a federal lawmaker since 2011, discusses the heavily rural profile of his 18-county district and his long effort to ensure quality broadband service to his constituents. “I can’t think of a single county that does not have significant challenges with broadband access.” Rep. Johnson said the answer primarily lies in better mapping and the availability of multiple access technologies.

In this new episode of DC2U, ACA Connects’ podcast and videocast, ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka talks with Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), who is the ranking member on the House Communications & Technology Subcommittee. In terms of his legislative agenda, Rep. Latta points to fixing the robocalls problem, addressing Internet privacy concerns, and promoting broadband deployment in rural America. Rep. Latta said he is also pressing for the creation of accurate broadband maps so financial support reaches communities and schools districts in the most need for robust Internet access. “You can’t do a good job if you don’t have a correct map,” Rep. Latta says.

In this new episode of DC2U, ACA Connects’ podcast and videocast, ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka sits down with Rep. Peter Welch, Democrat of Vermont, to discuss a few key communications policy issues facing the 116th Congress. Welch, who is a member of the House Subcommittee on Communications & Technology as well as Co-Chairman of the House Rural Broadband Caucus, said rural broadband buildout should be viewed as a national commitment. He said online privacy legislation is also important, saying there’s bipartisan support for the notion that “we can’t just leave it up to Google and Facebook.” Welch also said that the reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization Act of 2014 (STELAR) is must-pass legislation.

On ACA Connects’ first episode of DC2U, a special ACA Connects podcast and videocast, ACA Connects President and CEO Matt Polka sits down with Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to discuss advancements in broadband over the years, solving communications issues by bringing people together, this year’s “STELAR” reauthorization, and much more! Join us in our new video podcast series DC2U, where ACA Connects bring Washington’s influencers to you – DC2U!

In this ACA Connects podcast, ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka discusses a range of important topics with Julie Laulis, who is President and CEO of Sparklight (formerly Cable ONE). Under Laulis, Phoenix-based Sparklight, the company’s new name as of May 28, has pushed ahead with its broadband-centric business model that gives consumers more of the video choice they want using their broadband connections. “Revenues are growing and adjusted EBITDA and margins are expanding and they are expanding rapidly,” Laulis says. “As that has happened, we have gained the confidence that this path is well-suited for us. That confidence is not getting diminished as each quarter rolls on.”