ACC On the Road

Update on the Digital Transition: Eight Months and Counting

ACC will present panels at two regional cable meetings this summer to discuss the latest developments on how cable, broadcast and others are supporting the transition to all digital broadcast television slated for February 17, 2009. The sessions, titled “Update on the Digital Transition: Eight Months and Counting,” will explore what cable professionals need to know and do to make sure employees, current customers and potential new customers are ready for the transition.

Friday, July 18

New England Cable Telecommunications Association Annual Meeting in Newport, RI
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Newport Marriot

Moderator:

Steve Jones, Executive Director, Association of Cable Communicators

Panel:

Trevor Arp, Director of Video Products and Content, Comcast, NorthCentral Division
Lisa Churchville, President, NBC10/WJAR-TV
Steve Effros, President, Effros Communications

NECTA encourages any ACC member who is interested in attending this session but not registered for the annual meeting to come to the session free of charge. Additionally, ACC will sponsor a luncheon following the session. To preregister for this panel, please contact ACC at 202-222-2370 or services@cablecommunicators.org.

 

Tuesday, August 5

Joint Summer Meeting of the NC, SC, GA & TN state cable and telecommunications associations in Hilton Head, South Carolina
Time: 10:15 – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa

Moderator:

Steve Jones, Executive Director, Association of Cable Communicators

Panel:

Steve Effros, President, Effros Communications
Gary McNair, Vice President/General Manager, WECT 6
Kim Cannon, Vice President/General Manager, Time Warner Cable – Wilmington

For additional information on either panel, please contact Steve Jones at 202-222-2373 or sjones@cablecommunicators.org.

Online Events

“Partnering Your Way to Fabulous Public Affairs Events” – An ACC Online Chat

Thursday, July 10
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time

The cable industry is committed to improving the communities it serves, and its active involvement locally can be a competitive advantage. During ACC’s next online chat, expert cable communicators will explore how to design an effective, community relations event and how partnerships, particularly those between programmers and operators, can magnify its results.

Participating Experts:

Kim Gilmore, Ph.D., historian and director, corporate outreach, A&E Television Networks/The History Channel
Kristen Roberts, regional senior director, community and public relations, Comcast, Connecticut-West Region
Ann Shrewsbury, director of public affairs & community programming, Time Warner Cable - National

How ACC Members Can Participate:

ACC’s online chat will be accessible to all on its Web site, www.cablecommunicators.org. If you have a question that you would like to ask Kim, Kristen or Ann but will not be able to participate in the live chat, please email Michelle Butler your question.

ACC will post a transcript of the chat in the members-only section of its Web site.

 

Past Online Events

Wednesday, February 6, 2008
ACC Online Chat
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST
Cable Blogs:  Tapping into the Blogosphere to Achieve Company Goals
Transcript of ACC's Online Chat Cable Blogs: Tapping into the Blogosphere to Achieve Company Goals (members-only)

The explosion of the blogosphere has changed how, where and from whom people get their information.  Following up on the ACCbrief Blogs and Beyond, ACC’s first online chat will feature Lance Helgeson, vice president, v-Fluence Interactive Public Relations and a contributor to this brief, and three cable trailblazers who have found ways to use the blogosphere to spread cable’s story.  ACC invites all cable communicators to join Helgeson; Jerilyn Bliss, vice president, corporate communications, Scripps Networks; Anthony Surratt, executive director, public relations, Cox Communications; and Brandii Toby, press and publicity manager, DIY Network to discuss how one can tap into the blogosphere successfully.

One of the first cable companies to blog was Cox Communications.  In October 2005 Cox launched Digital Straight Talk (http://www.digitalstraighttalk.com), a blog that allows Cox to present views and news on the many issues affecting broadband providers and consumers.  DIY Network used its Blog Cabin in 2007 to drive "tune-in" for on-air programming and "logon" for online programming with positive results.

Participating Blogging Experts:

	Jerilyn Bliss, vice president, corporate communications, Scripps Networks		Lance Helgeson, vice president, v-Fluence
	Anthony Surratt, executive director, public relations, Cox Communications, Inc.		Brandii Toby, press and publicity manager, DIY Network

How ACC Members Can Participate:

ACC’s first, online chat will be accessible to all on its Web site www.CableCommunicators.org.   If you have a question that you would like to ask Jerilyn, Anthony or Brandii but will not be able to participate in the live chat, please email Michelle Butler (mbutler@cablecommunicators.org) your question.

ACC will post a transcript of the chat in the members-only section of its Web site.