Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) is urging public to tell Presi...
Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) is urging public to tell President Bush, FCC and congressional representatives they should oppose cable concentration. Center said proposals by FCC and cable eventually could allow 2 companies to own all of nation’s cable…
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systems. Jan. 4 is deadline for comments to FCC on ownership caps. CDD Exec Dir. Jeffrey Chester said he was especially concerned by AOL-Time Warner’s recent offer to buy AT&T Broadband. “Given the cable lobby’s opposition to open broadband access, the cable industry’s TV monopoly could extend into the Internet as well,” Chester said. Cable insiders said some deregulation had allowed cable to raise private funds to build networks and further deregulation would reap efficiencies and better deals for customers. NCTA spokesman said no single MSO served more than 14 million of nation’s 86 million cable homes and antitrust laws already protected consumers from unlawful combinations. “Mr. Chester speaks mostly for himself, and his reckless claims about cable concentration are not likely to influence policymakers,” spokesman said.