Powell also answered questions about how new technology enables piracy

Cable companies rarely get high marks in customer satisfaction, which may be one reason why the industry has taken a beating in recent public policy fights, the head of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association said Tuesday.

NCTA CEO Michael Powell kicked off the cable association's recently rebranded trade show, the Internet and Television Expo, with a question and answer session with a reporter about many recent issues in the industry. According to trade publication Variety, he acknowledged the cable industry has a reputation problem among customers, and that your "words and message do not work if you are not liked."

"You have to be well-regarded by your customer base. You have to have a trusted relationship with them. And if that is frayed, you are just ripe for every next public policy fight to be turned against you, just based upon reputational critique," he said.

The industry was dealt a blow in February when the Federal Communications Commission voted to regulate the Internet like a utility, which limits the ability of cable companies to charge fees for faster download speeds for certain content. More recently, federal regulators poured cold water on a proposed Comcast and Time Warner Cable merger.

Reputation is not the only challenge facing cable operators. New streaming video apps such as Periscope and Meerkat are making it easier than ever for people to pirate cable programing. Powell, however, remained optimistic, saying new disruptions come "an enormous amount of good and an element of bad." http://bit.ly/1Jp3pxA

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