WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) said today it is finalizing preparations for the most comprehensive program in the 56-year history of The Cable Show.  Featuring 87 sessions, NCTA’s Annual Convention and International Exposition will be held May 7-9, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

“The industry is growing dynamically, and so is The Cable Show,” said Kyle McSlarrow, NCTA President & CEO.  “We’ve worked hard to ensure that this year’s NCTA convention will offer the richest, deepest program ever, and we’ve focused on collaborating with other industry organizations to bring added value to The Cable Show experience.” 

McSlarrow noted that the broad array of panels at The Cable Show ’07 reflects two significant trends:

• The broadening of the cable industry itself, which has grown to encompass new services, products and possibilities; and
• A growing list of program partners that are working with NCTA to add variety, depth and expertise to The Cable Show panels and discussions.

The breadth of substantive sessions is evidenced in the number and diversity of the 87 sessions, which cover the latest in cable technology, marketing, broadband gaming, wireless applications, programming and more:

4    General Sessions
5    Plenary Sessions
2    Management Sessions in Programming
7    Management Sessions in Operations & Marketing
5    Management Sessions in New Technology
3    Management Sessions in Information Technology
2    Management Sessions in Finance
3    Management Sessions in Public Policy
5    Sessions on Advertising in Partnership with the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau
5    Technical Papers Sessions
11  Sessions in the OpenCable™ Applications Platform (OCAP) Developers’ Conference
7    Sessions in Broadband Gaming
15  Sessions in the iHollywood Mobile Bootcamp
7    Sessions as part of the Walter Kaitz Foundation Supplier Diversity Workshop
6    Sessions in the International Business Center

Recap of NCTA Partnership Programs and Special Presentations:

OCAP: Interactive and More. Immediately preceding The Cable Show, this two-day forum delivers an immersive education in the enabling technology for a new era of interactive television. It’s presented in association with CableLabs, and features 11 sessions describing everything from a technology tutorial to the emerging economics of the category.

CAB Conference. For the first time, the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau’s annual sales management conference dovetails with The Cable Show, allowing cable ad executives an opportunity not just to learn new ideas about improving their businesses, but exploring the broad range of new technologies and offerings showcased at The Cable Show.

CableNET ’07. Again with CableLabs, The Cable Show presents a special exhibit pavilion devoted to cable’s latest technology developments that continue vitalize the cable industry’s product mix.

iHollywood. With the iHollywood Mobile Bootcamp, The Cable Show presents a day and a half of focused discussions about the new mobile communications opportunity and cable’s role in advancing this business.

The Cable Game Arena. This year’s focus on broadband gaming is planned as a collection of exhibits and corresponding panel sessions featuring some of the top thinkers in the modern video-game industry, talking about creative and collaborative approaches to working with cable on new generations of games and game delivery approaches.

The NCTA Technical Papers™ Program. One of the jewels of The Cable Show, this collection of five panel sessions features peer-selected authors who will present their findings. The sessions provide a sneak preview into emerging technologies that will make headlines in the future.

Sessions developed with industry partners: These sessions are collaborative efforts with other cable associations, professional societies, and organizations, including the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM); the Society of Cable and Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE); Cable in the Classroom; the Association of Cable Communicators (ACC); the Broadcast & Cable Financial Management Association (BCFM),  CableLabs® and The Walter Kaitz Foundation.

Industry Luminaries

A “roll-call” of industry leaders scheduled to appear during the four General Sessions at the Show includes:

• Jeff Bewkes, Chairman, Entertainment & Networks Group, Time Warner
• George Bodenheimer, Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks, President, ESPN, Inc. & ABC Sports
• Glenn Britt, President & CEO, Time Warner Cable
• Stephen Burke, President & COO, Comcast Corporation
• Peter Chernin, President & COO, News Corporation
• Philippe Dauman, President & CEO, Viacom
• Pat Esser, President, Cox Communications, Inc.
• Michael Fries, President & CEO, Liberty Global, Inc.
• John Lansing, President, Scripps Networks
• Robert Iger, President & CEO, The Walt Disney Company
• Kyle McSlarrow, President & CEO, NCTA
• Richard Parsons, Chairman & CEO, Time Warner Inc.
• Brian Roberts, Chairman & CEO, Comcast Corporation
• Tom Rutledge, COO, Cablevision Systems Corporation
• David Zaslav, President & CEO, Discovery Communications Inc.

KC and the Sunshine Band to Shake Up The Cable Show; CableFAX’s Mike Grebb to Warm Things Up

Continuing a celebratory tradition featuring icons of pop and rock music, NCTA announced today that all Cable Show participants are invited to “Shake, Shake, Shake” to KC and the Sunshine Band at this year’s closing night party.  The event, hosted by Motorola, opens at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9 at the House of Blues – located in the Mandalay Bay Hotel complex.  As a special treat – the warm up act features longtime cable journalist and Washington, D.C.-area musician Mike Grebb, executive editor of CableFAX Daily.  All registered delegates may pick up their party tickets at the Party Voucher Desk during normal convention business hours. Exhibitors will receive their access cards from their exhibitor contact. Media passes will be available in the Media Center.  

For additional, up-to-the-minute information, or to register for The Cable Show ’07, visit the official website (www.thecableshow.com) or contact NCTA's Department of Industry Affairs (202/222-2430).