Cable Lobby Seeks Better Reputation By Dropping 'Cable' From Its Name (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Cable lobbyists don't want to be called cable lobbyists anymore. The nation's top two cable industry lobby groups have both dropped the word "cable" from their names. But the lobby groups' core mission -- the fight against regulation of cable networks -- remains unchanged. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) got things started in 2016 when it renamed itself NCTA-The Internet & Television Association, keeping the initialism but dropping the words it stood for. The group was also known as the National Cable Television Association between 1968 and 2001. The American Cable Association (ACA) is the nation's other major cable lobby. While NCTA represents the biggest companies like Comcast and Charter, the ACA represents small and mid-size cable operators. Today, the ACA announced that it is now called America's Communications Association or "ACA Connects," though the ACA's website still uses the americancable.org domain name.

"The new name reflects a leading position for the association in the fast-growing telecommunications industry, where technology is rapidly changing how information is provided to and used by consumers," the cable lobby said. "It's all about the communications and connections our members provide," said cable lobbyist Matthew Polka, who is CEO of the ACA. The "ACA Connects" moniker "explains what our association and members really do," Polka continued. "We connect, communicate, build relationships and work together with all, and that will never change."

Comments

How about replacing it with

[Tablizer]

"sleazebag".

Here's how to improve your reputation

[SuperKendall]

Let's take the example of "Comcast".

Will calling it something besides a cable company change the reputation? No.

So what do you do?

It's pretty simple. Make a new company "FutureCast", just something with a better name to start with. Pretend it's a new company.

Now, take your employees that are actually good, transfer them all to FutureCast. Provide good quality commercial cable modems for internet only, and rent those out instead of your own crappy hardware. Prioritize network traffic over the Comcast network for FutureCast customers.

So you have customers that interact with a company that doesn't rent overpriced garbage boxes, delivers what people actually want which is internet only for a reasonable price without pushing extra packages, and actually has employees that are not like playing Service Russian Roulette any time you have to deal with them. Who would NOT love that company?

What above older Comcast customers you ask? Well, how would they even notice a drop in service quality...

Um...

[The Grim Reefer]

If they are changing the name because of some sort of negative association with cable, wires, or whatever; then I suppose I can see it.

But if it's because of the shitty reputation that the cable companies have gotten due to the way they operate, then this is just stupid. If they want to be thought of in a more positive way, then perhaps they should stop being douche bags and treating their customers the way they have been for the last couple of decades.

But I guess a name change is easy, while actually doing something meaningful is probably against the very fiber of their being.

Not the right strategy

[surfdaddy]

Don't drop "cable" from your name, drop the shit from your game.

Re:No problem

[ItsJustAPseudonym]

The new name is "the finger". It's still the same finger, but it just doesn't want to me known as "middle" anymore.