MCTV's Gessner elected ACA chairman

MCTV president Robert Gessner has been elected chairman of the American Cable Association, succeeding WOW! chairwoman Colleen Abdoulah, who had held the top ACA post since 2011.

Robert Gessner, MCTV Patty Boyers, BOYCOM

From left, Gessner, chairman, and Boyers, vice chairman of the ACA. (Images courtesy ACA)

The ACA, which represents small and mid-sized cable companies, also used the occasion of the Independent Show in Kansas City to announce the election of board member Patty Boyers, VP of BOYCOM, as vice chairman. Both Gessner and Boyers were elected to two-year terms by a vote of ACA membership.

"This is a critical time because the issues have never been tougher or the stakes higher for the independent cable community," said Gessner, who presides over the recently renamed Massillon Cable TV (now known as MCTV). "I'm proud to lead ACA as the organization moves forward with its efforts to inform and educate policymakers on the vital role we play in the communications market and the need for public policies that foster investment in our networks and communities."

Gessner had previously served as vice chair of the ACA and has been vocal in the past about such issues as broadcast retransmission.

The ACA also named four new board members: Bill Beaty, executive VP of cable operations for Comporium; Leslie Brown, senior VP and general counsel for Atlantic Broadband; Cathy Kuo, COO of WOW!; and Drew Petersen, VP of external affairs and corporate communications for TDS.

Four current board members were re-elected for three-year terms: Bryan Cipolletti, CFO, Armstrong; Tom Larson, VP of legal and public affairs for Mediacom; Tom Might, president and CEO of Cable One; and LeaAnn Quist, director of cable TV, Great Plains Communications. 

For more:
- read this ACA press release

Related links:
Abdoulah: 'The content model will be broken'
Retrans debate widens rift between operators and programmers on NCTA board
Small cable operators take more personal approach to lobbying