Photos: The Independent Show

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Independent Show -- A record crowd of small- and mid-sized cable operators turned out here this week to discuss policy issues, lament the cost of programming and kick the tires on some new technologies. (See ACA: Little Cable Faces Some Big Issues.)

Some of the hotter topics were retransmission consent (of course), how independent cable operators can use the TV Everywhere model to embrace the notion of over-the-top video and stave off a budding cord-cutting trend, and what smaller cable operators can do launch their own business-class services and siphon some of those revenues away from the telcos. (See Cable Co-Op Lights Up TV Everywhere Platform , Access Doubts Dent NBCU's Olympics Ambitions and Will Cable Face an OTT Block Party? )

Oh, and Vanilla Ice was in the house. Click on the image below to rev up a brief slideshow highlighting some of the event:

Cable Co-Op

National Cable Television Cooperative President and CEO Rich Fickle sets the table for the event.

— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable