This week’s #broaddata is a look at how consistent the rise in cable viewership has been over the last 17 years. And while there are many reasons for this rise (quality content, diverse programming, engaging platform), the result of this rise has been the oft referred to “Golden Age of Television.” With an average 24.3 million viewers (and growing) watching cable programs each day, content creators are more confident that the risk in making shows like The Walking Dead, The Americans, and Game of Thrones will pay off.

I don’t have children. Perhaps some time in the (distant) future I’ll have a family that consists of more than two cats and an iPad, but until then, the challenges of raising a family in a world filled with Facebook, Mad Men, and cyber-criminals aren’t my own.

When Congress created the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Broadband Loan Program in the Farm Bill, the goal was to connect to the Internet those Americans living in small towns and hard-to-reach rural areas with insufficient access.

This week’s #broaddata is an unfettered look at the economic impact of cable. From programmers to content deliverers and everyone in between, cable brings great jobs to thousands of communities across the country.

From their inception in the 1950’s, cable companies have been fearlessly diving into the latest technology and risking big on the future of information and entertainment.

On Monday, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled the new Information Technology Training and Certification Partnership. The program is designed to support returning military service members by offering training for industry-recognized IT certification.

This week’s #broaddata comes from Akamai’s quarterly “State of the Internet Report.” The report reveals a 28 percent increase in average U.S. broadband speeds year over year, with a 2.3 percent bump during the 4th quarter of 2012.

Broadband has become a critical resource for getting an education at almost any level, finding a job, starting a business and many other societally important activities.

On this, the 43rd annual Earth Day, we wanted to celebrate by sharing some of the programs and initiatives the cable industry is taking part in to ensure a healthy, bright future for our planet.

This week’s #broaddata is a breakdown of how a botnet attack works. For those of you who have already heard of a botnet, jump right in and enjoy the graphic!

[VIDEO] We’re only eight weeks away from The Cable Show 2013! Have you registered? Have you made arrangements? Are you excited? Check out this video and prepare for the best Cable Show ever!

Yesterday, winners of the 2013 Vanguard Awards – the cable industry’s most prestigious honors — were announced.   Originated in 1965, the Vanguard Awards honor the “best of the best” in the cable industry and the previous winners are literally a “who’s who” of the entrepreneurs, pioneers, innovators and creative minds that made cable what it is today.