Gessner Re-Elected ACA Chair

Robert Gessner, chairman of the American Cable Association, has been re-elected to that post, as was Patricia Jo Boyers as vice chairwoman.

That came at The Independent Show in Orlando. The continuity of leadership will help as the ACA continues to weigh in on some big issues in Washington, including the FCC's set-top box proposal, broadband privacy and business data (formerly "special access") reform, and legislation that would block broadband rate regs and exempt smaller operators, which ACA represents, from enhanced transparency requirements under the FCC's Open Internet rules.

"With Bob Gessner and Patty Boyers continuing in their leadership roles, ACA is ready to move forward in a way that will show how ACA's diverse membership is having a big impact in communities that need advanced communications services to thrive in a global economy," said ACA President and CEO Matt Polka in a statement. "ACA has a strong brand and we will always fight for rational and balanced policies."

Gesner is President of MCTV and Boyers is president and vice chair of Boycom.

Each are two-year terms.

Re-elected to new, three-year, terms on the board:

Leslie Brown, SVP and general counsel, Atlantic Broadband; Jim Bruder: CEO and chairman, Harron Communications; John Conrad: legal/HR eirector, Liberty Cablevision of P.R.; Earle MacKenzie: EVP and COO, Shentel; Drew Petersen, VP of external affairs and corporate communications for TDS; Bob Wieand, controller, Service Electric Cablevision.

Elected to two open seats were Diana Block, EVP, Block Communications, and Kathy Ford, VP, legal, for WOW!

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.