Robert Sachs, president and CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) has opted not to renew his contract with the association.

"For almost five years I've had the great privilege of leading NCTA. As the industry has experienced unprecedented change and launched new [broadband services], I cannot imagine a more exciting period to represent out industry in Washington," Sachs wrote in a June 18 letter to the association's Board of Directors.

Sachs, 55, cited the long commute from Boston to Washington, D.C. as one reason for his departure. He will serve through and past 2004, if needed, to help the association to find a successor.

His letter also said, "The results we've achieved, including establishing a deregulatory environment for broadband services; reaching the landmark plug-and-play DTV agreement with the consumer electronics industry; and putting in place voluntary industry-wide efforts to enable families to control TV viewing in their homes, also give me great pride."

While Sachs worked with NCTA, the cable and telecom industry has observed an increased demand for multichannel services, new cable services such as high speed Internet, video-on-demand, HDTV and VoIP.