Jeff Abbas is the new head of the National Cable Television Cooperative.
The NCTC’s board of directors selected Abbas, 43, as the cable co-op’s president and CEO.
Abbas -- who has been serving as the NCTC’s senior vice president of business affairs since 2003 -- succeeds Mike Pandzik, the organization’s founding president, who retired in August.
Abbas, a lawyer by trade, started his legal career in 1987 before becoming VP of programming at Adelphia Communications Corp. During his tenure at Adelphia, Abbas was elected to the NCTC’s board, on which he served from 1999 until his appointment to the staff in 2003.
At the NCTC -- which represents more than 1,100 independent cable operators, their 6,000 individual systems and more than 14 million subscribers nationwide -- Abbas has been responsible for programming-contract analysis and negotiations.
“We have been fortunate to benefit from Jeff’s extensive industry background for years during Jeff’s tenure as a board member and, most recently, as senior vice president of business affairs,” NCTC interim president and CEO Tom Gleason said in a prepared statement. “We are confident that he will lead the NCTC and our members through the many purchasing and business challenges facing independent operators today.”
Abbas, who was not immediately available for comment, issued the following statement to the NCTC staff following his appointment: “It’s an honor to continue the tradition of NCTC’s excellent service to the independent operator. I remind myself when I come to work every day that what we do makes a significant difference in the businesses of our members. As the telecommunications world continues to evolve into an all-digital platform, NCTC will play an increasingly important role in helping independent operators to manage that transition.”
