The Consistent Success of LGBTQ Inclusive Shows
June is LGBTQ pride month, a time to celebrate and reflect on progress made for LGBTQ people and a time to take a look at where things could be better. Over the last 25 years, GLAAD, a nonprofit that advocates for better LGBTQ representation in the entertainment world, has tracked the number of LGBTQ characters on TV. In that time, the amount of representation on screen has expanded far beyond those first years. That progress of getting LGBTQ characters on screen is an important step, but only the first one in creating a space for authentic queer stories. GLAAD has issued challenges to the TV
A Look Back at Remote Learning as the School Year Wraps up
June marks the start of summer, which also means the end of the school year and graduation celebrations. Millions of students and teachers had to adapt to a new style of academic instruction as classes went virtual when the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close their doors in March 2020 and for a large part of the past year. While many schools reopened and offered hybrid learning plans this past spring, it's worth taking a look back at America's first year of remote learning and the lessons gleaned as graduates leave their respective schools to start on new paths and students get ready for
C-SPAN Has an Eye on the Future
For over 40 years, C-SPAN has brought the halls of Congress into American living rooms without interruption or commentary. From its launch in 1979 to today, the network has stood out among its peers for the unique way it operates and approaches news coverage. After a year of a global pandemic and a historic election, the network, like so many other teams, are looking to the future through a new lens. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, C-SPAN crews were already tirelessly covering the election from candidacy announcements to the first primaries at the start of the year. So when social distancing
Outdoor Access to Unlicensed Spectrum in the 5.9 GHz Band Will Support Next-Generation Wi-Fi
Last fall, the FCC took a major step forward for Wi-Fi when it voted unanimously to open up the lower portion of the 5.9 GHz band for indoor unlicensed use. As Wi-Fi demand has grown, so has the need for wider channels and for more unlicensed spectrum bandwidth to support the ever-evolving digital needs of Americans. This compromise decision also preserved the upper portion of the band for new automotive safety innovations and updated the rules so the auto industry can deploy the latest technologies. Although this bipartisan decision is a win for both American consumers and automotive safety
Documentaries Shine a Light on a Century of Injustice
This week marks 100 years since the violent destruction of the Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the murder of hundreds of Black Tulsans during a two-day massacre that would go largely unaddressed by government officials and overlooked in history lessons. The mass lynching and its aftermath are the subject of National Geographic Documentary Films’ upcoming documentary, “Rise Again: Tulsa and The Red Summer,” which premieres on June 18th to coincide with Juneteenth. National Geographic Documentary Films teamed up with acclaimed director Dawn Porter to make “Rise Again” which
New NCTA Member Enghouse Drives Digital Transformation for Industry
The past year has demonstrated the power and importance the internet plays in all of our lives. Advanced technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and holograms all rely on the robust broadband networks that internet service providers build and continue to upgrade as the 10G future looms near. In turn, ISPs rely on their partnerships with technology providers to continue to innovate and evolve their networks. Enghouse, a global technology provider and new member of NCTA, plays a big role on the software end of how we connect and use the internet. NCTA
ViacomCBS Special Addresses Racism Against AAPI Community and Calls for Change
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI), and with the tragic rise in hate crimes against this community over the past year of the pandemic, it is more important than ever for media, television, and Hollywood to find ways to not only honor and celebrate their contributions, but to educate audiences about the discrimination and challenges that many of them undergo. To help with these efforts, ViacomCBS joined forces this month with the Asian American Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation to raise awareness about acts of racism against Asian
How Broadband Met the Challenge and Is Ready for the Future
After an unprecedented past year, more Americans are not only connecting online a lot more to work, learn, and socialize, they are also recognizing and appreciating the reliability of their internet connections during the COVID-19 pandemic. This should come as no surprise given how America's broadband networks performed resiliently over the last year despite the historic surges in internet traffic that occurred when more people than ever before began working and learning remotely from home. According to a recent Morning Consult survey, 86% of American adults rate their internet as excellent or
On the Road to 10G, Alaska Looks More Like the ‘First Frontier’
In a huge step forward for Alaskan connectivity, GCI announced this week it will double the internet speeds it currently offers and plans to deliver 2 gigabit internet access to 77% of Alaskans in 2022. GCI CEO Ron Duncan also noted that the ISP is on track to provide 10 gigabit speeds to its footprint in the next five years as the cable industry continues its work towards getting Americans to next generation connectivity through the cable industry’s 10G initiative. "When I started GCI more than 40 years ago, Alaska lagged far behind the rest of the nation in basic connectivity," said GCI CEO
How the Semiconductor Chip Shortage Could Delay Broadband Connectivity
Over the past year, the devastating COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the urgent necessity of robust internet connectivity. When millions of Americans were sent home during lockdowns and schools closed, broadband networks provided the lifeline that allowed people to continue working and learning from home, attend telehealth appointments, and connect with family and friends. As internet traffic surged, people around the world began to update their home networking equipment and associated devices to receive the full benefits of a broadband connection. But while American broadband networks were able