Broadband Stats: Cable’s Impact on the American Economy
The past year and a half demonstrated how much daily life relies on a broadband connection. Americans have spent more time working, learning, and playing at home via the internet than ever before. While many tasks and commerce moved to the internet in recent months, broadband was vital to the economy long before the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, every two years, the Bortz Media & Sports Group conducts research on how much the cable broadband and TV industry impacts the American economy. Last week, the most recent version was published and underscores how strongly the industry powers the American
How the Cable Industry Mitigates Cybersecurity Risks
Cybersecurity Awareness Month may be wrapping up as October comes to an end, but the cable industry continues to work every hour of every day to secure its broadband networks and users from harm. With more people going online during the pandemic than ever before, the fight against cyberattacks has never been more critical. "Cable plays a very big role in critical infrastructure," said NCTA Vice President of Technology Matt Tooley. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security identified communications as one of the 17 roles of America's critical infrastructure, and the cable industry falls
Broadband Stats: 10G Is On The Horizon
In 2019, the cable industry announced 10G, an industry-wide commitment to delivering superfast, low latency networks that will reach 10 Gbps speeds in the coming years. Fast forward a few years later, and some major milestones have already been reached on the path to 10G. From Mediacom’s unleashing of the 10G Smart Home to Comcast's groundbreaking test of the Full Duplex DOCSIS technology that supports multigigabit upload and download speeds, cable internet service providers are working to deliver the kinds of next-generation services that will enable life-changing technologies and
Cable's Economic Impact Reaches $460 Billion
A new report, "Investing in America: The Cable Industry's Economic Impact on People, Infrastructure & Programming" finds that the economic impact by America's cable industry has reached approximately $460 billion. The report by Bortz Media & Sports Group looks at how cable's investment in infrastructure and award-winning programming has reached and affected consumers in nearly every community across the United States. A segment of the report also includes data indicative of the essential role that cable broadband played during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in supporting Americans through
AMC's Shudder Spotlights Black Horror in New Anthology as Halloween Approaches
With Halloween just around the corner, the horror genre is getting its time in the spotlight as viewers have a plethora of scary TV programming to choose from. AMC Networks stands apart in this category with its menu of slasher and horror shows, giving audiences the shrieks and thrills they crave during this time of year. Not only is AMC Networks the home of the fan favorite, "The Walking Dead," the programmer also hosts FearFest, an annual horror marathon featuring over 680 hours of iconic horror films and shows. But this year, AMC Networks is also debuting a new anthology, "Horror Noire,"
As Inflation Rises for Most of the Economy, Internet Prices Decline
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted supply chains and consumers have seen price increases on many goods. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of September which showed that, as compared to September 2020, overall prices for consumers increased 5.4%. However, the real price of internet services fell 2.6% in September as compared to last year. In other words, while much of the economy has seen significant prices increases, internet price changes are at rates below many other important goods and services purchased by consumers. As
TV Stats: HBO’s “Succession” By The Numbers
This weekend, fans of the smash hit “Succession” on HBO will be rewarded with the long-awaited premiere of the show’s third season. The series follows the adult children of an extravagantly wealthy family as they compete for control of their aging father’s media empire and has inspired remixes, memes, think pieces, and a few viral videos. Even for those who aren’t regular viewers, “Succession” is just one of the many award-winning shows currently available on cable TV networks. After the show’s second season premiered in 2019, it drew an average audience of over 4 million for each episode
Announcing: The 10G Challenge
At this year’s SCTE Cable Tech Expo, during the “The Path to 10G” panel, the CEOs of NCTA, CableLabs, and SCTE (Michael Powell, Phil McKinney, and Mark Dzuban, respectively) announced the launch of the 10G Challenge—an invitation to technology leaders, start ups, entrepreneurs, engineers, and more—to develop new technologies, services, and applications that make the most of a next generation 10G network. Submissions are due by July 1, 2022, and winners will be notified later in the year. The 10G Challenge will be broken into different categories in the same way that the 10G initiative has
Selma Blair Shines in New Documentary about MS on Discovery+
Americans have a 3.5 in 1,000 chance of developing Multiple Sclerosis, according to the MS Association of America. A few Americans might personally know someone afflicted with the condition, but for many the reality of MS is far out of mind. But if Selma Blair has her way, by the time her new film on discovery+ is viewed by audiences across the country, more Americans than ever before will have an intimate look at life with the disease. “Introducing, Selma Blair” takes an unflinching look at the actress’s struggle during a relapse of her MS, bringing cameras into her most painful and personal
Powell at Diversity Week 2021: Our Wellbeing is Inextricably Intertwined
Every autumn, the cable industry usually converges in Manhattan to discuss and advocate for practices that further diversity and inclusion across the media and entertainment landscape. While COVID-19 may have forced the activities of Diversity Week to go digital for a second year in a row, nothing could get in the way of the efforts that contribute to this important work. Last night, NCTA President and CEO Michael Powell delivered an address at the Walter Kaitz Foundation’s Virtual Gathering, the event that this year replaced the traditional in-person fundraising dinner in Time Square. Powell