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Cynthetiq · 09-03-2004, 08:50 AM

This is in today's USATODAY.

Quote:

Election should be a pro for cable, no matter who wins
By David Lieberman, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — President Bush seems to like cable households.
On Thursday he accepted the GOP presidential nomination at Madison Square Garden, owned by Cablevision Systems. Four years ago Comcast hosted the Republican convention at Philadelphia's Comcast Spectacor Wachovia Center.

But no matter who wins the battle for the White House this fall, cable operators probably won't lose. Bush and Democrat John Kerry both have been so sympathetic to the industry that "on an issue-by-issue basis, there isn't much difference" between them, says Legg Mason's Blair Levin.

To be sure, last month Kerry said that he's "against the ongoing push for media consolidation." That's a stark contrast to directions taken by the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department since Bush took office. And the election could bring big changes for media if it resulted in Republican FCC Chairman Michael Powell being replaced by Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat who favors more regulation.

Yet with that wild card, analysts and advocates say they can't predict how the candidates would differ on key disputes involving cable.

Issues likely to be resolved over the next four years include:

•Should the federal government force operators to offer channels individually to let subscribers order just the ones they want?

•Should basic cable channels be held to the same decency standards that apply to broadcasters?

•Should operators have to carry every channel TV stations offer after their federally ordered switch to digital broadcasting?

•Should state telephone regulators oversee cable's Internet-based phone services — or should the federal government step in to promote phone competition?

"It's very hard to label the issues as Democratic or Republican issues, or John Kerry and George Bush issues," says Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen.

That frustrates some consumer advocates after four years of railing at Bush's pro-cable policies.

For example, the FCC and Justice Department supported the industry this week by asking the Supreme Court to review an appeals court ruling that would require operators to open their high-speed Internet networks to rival service providers. And Justice supported Comcast's $26 billion acquisition of AT&T Broadband.

But they also recognize that Kerry's "past positions in Congress have not been very supportive of consumer concerns," says Consumers Union's Gene Kimmelman.

His group and others slammed the Massachusetts senator in 1992 when he tried to water down a bill to regulate cable rates. Kerry finally voted for the bill, which became law over the veto of then-President George H. W. Bush.

Then, in 1995, Kerry helped to defeat a bill sponsored by leading Democrats — including Massachusetts' Sen. Edward Kennedy and Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman — that would have required monopoly cable operators to keep rate increases in line with systems in markets with local competition.

Many suspect Kerry's positions were swayed by his brother, Cameron, a cable and telecommunications lawyer at a firm whose clients include Cablevision Systems.

Yet Bush has even tighter industry ties. Cablevision Chairman Chuck Dolan was on his transition team in 2001. And this year, Comcast COO Stephen Burke became one of the Bush campaign's "Rangers" — backers who've raised at least $200,000 in donations.

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association declined to comment or provide information about its political action committee contributions.

Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/...politics_x.htm