Primaries, Candidates and Everything in Between: How C-SPAN is Handling 2020
While the 2020 primaries and caucuses officially kick off this week, C-SPAN has been in campaign mode for over a year covering the many candidates as they visit towns large and small. It has been a busy time for C-SPAN both in and out of Washington as more people than ever before came to their website and watched more videos in 2019. In addition, many don't realize C-SPAN is not government funded, but rather was created by the cable industry 40 years ago and continues to be funded by the cable and satellite industries. To learn more about how C-SPAN covers the election and other political
How Technology and Content Define the Future of Television
Technology is everywhere. Today’s consumers experience it wherever they go, with smart assistants that sit on countertops to wearable devices that monitor heartrates, and so much more. For the media industry, the changing way Americans experience technology in their lives comes with tremendous opportunity. Gone are the days where a family would only crowd around the living room television. Now, it’s about marrying quality content to cutting edge innovations, and meeting consumers with what they want, wherever they are. NCTA connected with ViacomCBS to explore the future of television and how
A Robust Solution to Closing the Digital Divide
It’s 2020 and for most of us, the internet feels truly ubiquitous. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, much of our daily routine depends on an internet connection. In fact, a 2019 Pew study found that 73% of Americans go online at least several times a day, with 28% describing themselves as online “almost constantly.” But even as internet technology continuously improves and becomes a more frequent part of daily life for most Americans, we remain mindful that for a small, but persistent group of Americans, the barriers to broadband adoption remain significant. The
3Q: How More Unlicensed Spectrum Could Impact America
America’s technological and data demands are growing. The explosion of use cases for Wi-Fi and the internet of things (IoT), in particular, has created a drive to open up more unlicensed spectrum. In December 2019, the FCC unanimously voted to consider a proposal that would dedicate a portion of the 5.9 GHz spectrum band to unlicensed use. Soon, it’s expected that the FCC will authorize unlicensed use in the 6 GHz band as well. As this important national conversation continues, NCTA sat down with our spectrum expert, Danielle Piñeres, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, to talk about
U.S. Ranked in Top 3 for Digital Readiness
Recently, Cisco published its Digital Readiness Index, a global ranking based on how likely an economy is to support new technologies and digital services. The index is made up of the following factors; basic needs, business & government investment, ease of doing business, human capital, start-up environment, technology adoption, and technology infrastructure. The United States came in at number three overall, closely behind Singapore and Luxembourg respectively. Digging into the sub-categories, the U.S. ranks number six in technology infrastructure, behind small European nations like Denmark
There Are More TV Shows Than Ever Before
Yesterday, FX CEO John Landgraf announced the annual tally of the number of original scripted TV series that aired in 2019. That number, which we’ve written about before, has steadily grown year after year as more players enter the TV space. A record 532 original scripted shows aired in 2019, a jump from the 495 shows that aired in 2018. To put that in perspective, there were 210 series in 2009. Flash forward to today, and new streaming services seem to launch every few weeks. In order to imitate the success of traditional cable networks like HBO and FX (who have historically invested heavily
The State of Play for Esports
"I would say, in its simplest definition, esports means competitive video games," said Kevin Lopes, director of business development at ESPN. At a recent panel held at NCTA, esports executives came together to talk about the fast-growing craze and what audiences have to look forward to. This rich and immersive form of entertainment is captivating not only hard core gamers, but casual viewers across the country as well. But it turns out that esports is more than meets the eye; Lopes and fellow panelists made sure to demonstrate the many facets that make up esports and the challenges the cable
2020 Progress Update: The 10G Platform
Originally posted on 10GPlatform.com The global technology community is about to descend on Las Vegas next week for CES 2020 and one common element of just about every device, service and technology that will be featured is how connectivity – and increasing bandwidth – are powering a whole range of immersive consumer experiences. This trend isn’t surprising, new or groundbreaking but underscores the need for powerful networks to keep up with our digital demands. In anticipation of this growing demand for more bandwidth and uninterrupted connectivity, the broadband industry led by NCTA – The
Reflecting on 2019's Significant Industry Moments
As we approach the end of 2019, and get ready for what will be a busy 2020, we wanted to highlight some key initiatives and milestones that cable providers and TV networks achieved over the last year. It’s been a great year and decade for TV and the internet, and it will be fascinating to see what’s in store for 2020 and beyond. Introduction of 10G In January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, CableLabs and Cable Europe introduced the cable’s vision for delivering 10 gigabit networks, or 10G™, to consumers in the United States and across the
Cable TV Networks Give Back Year Round
The season for giving continues, but members of the cable industry have programs in place year-round to ensure that kids, needy families, schools, and communities worldwide receive the funds and resources they need to thrive. Cable TV networks in particular have a large reach and impact when it comes to the millions and millions of people they touch around the world through the shows and entertainment they produce, so it makes sense that these networks make it a priority to give back to the viewers and audiences that support them. Through programs that encourage employee volunteerism to