NEW YORK - Conversations with Oprah Winfrey and FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, as well as panels with media moguls, such as Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, Time Warner chairman and CEO Jeff Bewkes, News Corp. president, COO and vice chairman Chase Carey, Viacom president and CEO Philippe Dauman, and Time Warner Cable chairman and CEO Glenn Britt, are on the schedule of this week’s Cable Show in Chicago, which runs Tuesday through Thursday.
Technology issues, such as cable operators’ responses to the continued growth of Netflix’s streaming video service and their often controversial iPad apps, are expected to be in the spotlight, among other issues."The most important item that we will be exploring is the continuing evolution of the portable, personalized video experience and how that compares to other online video applications that could potentially be competitors to cable," said cable veteran Jerry Kent, one of the co-chairs of the Cable Show and chairman and CEO of small operator Suddenlink Communications.
Heading into the industry gathering, Comcast late Monday unveiled a strategic partnership deal with Skype that will enable Comcast customers to communicate with family and friends through HD video calling on their TV set.
“TV has evolved into a social experience, and Comcast and Skype will be delivering a product that personalizes the TV experience even more, and brings friends and family together through the biggest screen in their homes," said Neil Smit, president, Comcast Cable.
Another theme of the Cable Show will be "that despite the recession, cable has continued to grow revenue and invest in our infrastructure driven by broadband, telephony and other services," Kent said. "We really are transforming from cable companies that used to be video-centric and are now full telecommunications, or really infrastructure, providers as much as media companies."
Even though cord cutting fears have subsided in recent months, Kent said that broader focus on cable operators' portfolio of businesses will be emphasized at the Cable Show.
"What people are starting to realize is that the focus on video losses in the industry is overblown," he said. After all, last year there were over 2 million foreclosures in the U.S., and "it’s hard to sell video to a foreclosed home that is empty."
Hosted by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and its recently named head Michael Powell, a former FCC chairman who will give a State of the Industry speech, the 60th annual gathering of cable companies, cable network representatives and technology firms this year carries the slogan “Everything Possible.”
Miller Tabak analyst David Joyce also expects cable executives to discuss – on stage and in social settings – such things as embracing the iPad and online video services “as part of the broadening triple play offerings to attract and retain customers,” interactive advertising and the possible introduction of usage-based billing for broadband services, “related to the growth of Netflix."
While Time Warner’s HBO has made its HBO Go service available in cooperation with TV distributors to help retain customers longer-term, Viacom has been among cable network owners that have raised concerns over cable operators’ attempts to make channels available via their iPad apps without additional payments to the network owners.
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