Matthew M. Polka

Years in Cable: 28

Education: BS, Journalism (News-Editorial), West Virginia University; JD, Duquesne Univer­sity School of Law

One Word that Best Describes Me: Indefati­gable! (Blame Ted Hearn who coined this about me many years ago!)

A list of top people in cable wouldn’t be complete without the addition of these two. Polka is responsible for the daily operations and affairs of the 850-plus member non-profit ACA, dedicated to serving the inter­ests on independent, small and medium-sized broadband, cable and phone businesses. He helps indies stay competitive as they navigate the legislative and regulatory framework. Mean­while, NCTA chief Powell engages regularly in social media to keep the conversation current. Whether he’s simply wishing C-SPAN a happy birthday or reposting thought-provoking articles on how the FCC’s privacy rules affect consumers, Powell maintains an on-going dialogue.

If this election year was a reality TV series, it would be called… “Off Script and Out of Bounds!”

My favorite hashtag is: #WeAreAmericanCable!

I watch the majority of programming on this device: iPad, hands down.

Honored For: