Industry Perspective

This is a new era. Truly. It’s quite remarkable. Some thought we couldn’t do it, and even while we find ourselves enmeshed in the excitement, the challenges, the rewards and the issues, we still don’t quite believe it. Cable companies, program networks, consumer electronics companies, retailers, technology companies, broadband content suppliers and industry associations are collaborating to grow the cable business—speaking with one voice to the consumer. The groundwork has been laid and the "next level" initiatives are underway. Perhaps we can stop whispering now and confidently assert our superiority and competitive prowess. Not convinced? Well, a lot has happened since the last NCTA Show in Chicago, where the partnerships we’ve seen come to fruition were only in our CTAM dreams. At that point, we only dared to mumble about the potential among the committed and energetic few who had a vision. We held many meetings during which our ideas were repeatedly and roundly rejected. Never mind. We went forward, blindly optimistic. Understand, the CTAM volunteer leadership is quite a force and they never weakened their resolve. We knew one thing—and it’s still true a year later: To survive the full brunt of competition (of a type we still may have not fully imagined), we have to be united. The cable business needs a national presence, communicating unified messages about our advanced services, across multiple platforms, relentlessly. So far, the results of our blind optimism and hard work are convincing. All shapes, sizes and types of companies have joined together to launch four national initiatives. Yes. That’s definitely a new era. By engaging in tough discussions, by not being afraid to confront our differences and put aside our individual agendas, and by being committed to the benefits we know will result from everyone’s participation, we’re succeeding. And we’ve created a model to do much, much more. If you haven’t gotten involved, please do. If you have, thank you for making it possible. And together, let’s commit to making our voice heard by more, in an even louder and more profound way during the next year. After all, Only Cable Can.