SMALLER WESTERN SHOW TO FOCUS ON CABLE INDUSTRY'S NEW TECHNOLOGY
Although attendance is expected to be down 35-38% and few programmers will be exhibiting on floor, organizers of this year’s Western Cable Show say industry executives need to gather to “regroup and regain momentum” for coming year. Flagging economy and Sept. 11 terrorist attacks prompted many programmers to cut back or cut out altogether their presence at Western Show (CD Oct 22 p2). Reacting to that environment, host Cal. Cable TV Assn. -- soon to be renamed Cal. Cable & Telecom Assn. -- decided to focus instead this year on interactive technology, allowing companies with new products perhaps better prospect of gaining attention. Organizers also are stressing high profile MSO speakers, including Adelphia CFO Timothy Rigas, AOL-Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt, new AT&T Broadband CEO William Schleyer, Charter CEO Carl Vogel, Cox Enterprises CEO James Robbins, Insight Communications Pres. Michael Willner, Mediacom CEO Rocco Commisso. CCTA 34th annual convention, titled “See Change!,” will be held Tues. through Fri. at Anaheim Convention Center.
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CCTA convinced some member operators to attend, but only by agreeing to subsidize their travel and hotel expenses. “It’s been a tough time for all of our programmers, operators and high-tech companies and that ultimately impacts us,” CCTA spokesman Paul Fadelli said. CCTA also allowed 17 programmers, including Disney and Fox, to attend as “participants,” new category that will allow them to have part in show without paying fees for floor space. CCTA derives 70% of its budget from show, and downturn forced Assn. to lay off 7 of its 35 employees in recent weeks, Fadelli said. Last year, CCTA saw record attendance of 33,000, and this year that’s off 35-38%, he said. “We've fine-tuned our general sessions to factor in our changing economy and the events of this last year and how we jump- start our industry again,” he said. That fine-tuning includes more manufacturing and technology companies, which will be at center of exhibit floor. Despite problems, CCTA Pres. Spencer Kaitz said organizers had worked hard to ensure that Western Show was “still a great place for the cable industry to gather.”
Cable & Telecom Assn. for Mktg. is starting things off Tues. with preshow event featuring iNDemand CEO Stephen Brenner and TV Guide COO Peter Boylan, among others. OpenTV CEO James Ackerman and TiVo CEO Michael Ramsay will be among headliners at convention’s first session. Later that evening Cable Center will induct 7 people into Cable TV Hall of Fame, including Adelphia founder John Rigas. NCTA Pres. Robert Sachs will speak Wed., and Cable Center will record video history of CNN founder Ted Turner. Several members of FCC will be panelists at later session: Ken Ferree, chief, Cable Bureau; Rick Chessen, who heads new task force on digital TV; Jeff Carlisle, senior deputy chief of Common Carrier Bureau; Robert Pepper, chief of Office of Plans & Policy. That evening will be Bandies awards, which salute achievement in new technology and delivery. On Thurs., Liberty Digital Pres. Lee Masters will be among those discussing economy’s effects on cable industry.