After more than 50 years as the Alabama Cable Telecommunications Association, the state’s trade association for the cable industry has officially ushered in a new era.
Under the leadership of Executive Director Michelle Roth, the association has rebranded as the Alabama Cable and Broadband Association (ACBA), embracing its member companies’ leading roles as broadband providers in the Yellowhammer State.
In a statement, Roth advised, “The Association’s decision to include ‘broadband’ in its name reflects the fact that Alabama’s cable companies are one of the largest providers of broadband and internet services in the state.”
The rebrand not only brings with it an updated logo and website, but it exemplifies the ever-increasing modernization and credibility that Roth has brought to the association in her tenure, which began in 2017. For an industry with such a crucial role in the average Alabamian’s life, it is fitting that the ACBA be a player on the state’s political and public policy stages.
ACBA Board Member Lynne Frakes, president of CTV Beam of Phenix City, explained that the cable industry’s impact is not always understood.
“Alabama’s cable industry is proud to be a key partner in our state’s education system, economic development and quality life,” Frakes said. “By adding broadband to our name, the state’s policymakers and the public in general can better appreciate cable’s role in Alabama’s technology infrastructure.”
The ACBA, while certainly an emerging industry association in Alabama, also has one of the largest memberships of any state cable association in America.
Additionally, ACBA’s 14 member companies represent a wide variety of providers, from the largest cable operators in the nation, such as Charter and Comcast, to several proud Alabama-based companies.
Roth commented, “ACBA benefits from a membership that includes national companies that are part of developing trends in cable, but also from locally-owned cable companies that bring the direct perspective of the communities they serve.”
Founded in 1965, ACBA serves as the advocate for Alabama’s cable providers, operators, suppliers and programmers. The association provides its members with a unified voice to ensure the cable industry remains competitive in the rapidly changing world of technology, information and communication services across the state.
According to the ACBA, the industry employs more than 2,800 people, supports more than 24,000 direct and indirect jobs and has a total annual economic impact of $3.6 billion across Alabama.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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