8. Michael Powell
By
| October 1, 2013
President, NCTA
The former FCC chairman took the helm at NCTA in 2011 and has since focused largely on the availability and reliability of broadband, a message he touted at this year’s Cable Show and which he recently defended in a letter to the editor of the LA Times. An always-eloquent speaker, Powell has pointed to the staggering $200 billion spent building out the cable industry over the past decade, which resulted in a speed increase of 1,500%, broadband rollout to 93% of the country and continued innovation. “We should work harder than ever to ensure that all Americans—regardless of ethnicity, background, or gender—can enjoy the benefits of broadband,” he says. Onward!