LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — In unveiling the NCTC’s new moniker at The Independent Show here Monday, president and CEO Lou Borrelli said the change is in part an effort to emphasize the organization’s position in the industry and to ensure that its membership still has a strong voice.
The NCTC officially changed its name to the National Content and Technology Cooperative on Monday. It had previously been the National Cable Television Cooperative.
In announcing the switch on the Independent Show stage, Borrelli said the purchasing of programming will still be at the group’s core, but added that membership engagement is needed as the organization moves forward.
“Fundamentally, the relationship that we have as a co-op with our members is changing,” Borrelli said. “We've had a fairly passive relationship under the way the Co-op was formed originally with buying programming: We negotiate deals, you launch channels and then we wait until the renewal.
“Our path going forward requires all of us to be more active and be more engaged,” he continued. “This is not a passive relationship anymore. It can’t be, because what’s happening in Washington with the money that is going to be flowing, what’s happening with technology and direct-to-consumer, we all have to be in this together active and involved. If not, it puts our sustainable future at risk.”
Borrelli added the co-op will still purchase programming and equipment for members, but added that its size has been overlooked in the past.
NCTC members represent more than 34 million homes, or one-third of all of the connected households in the U.S., he said.
“That puts us on par with Comcast and with Charter, and gives us a seat at the adults table,” Borrelli said. “We will be more engaged, more active in the industry, we will have a voice on your behalf, to make sure that the independent operators are not left behind in the conversation.”
He added that NCTC also has great partners in ACA Connects, who do the same in Washington with legislators and with elected officials, locally, statewide and nationally.
"I couldn't be happier to be joined at the hip with them," Borrelli said.
T️his article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand NextTV.
