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from: Telecom Web

Telcos Win: California Senate OKs Statewide Video Franchises

The California state Senate yesterday passed a video franchise measure establishing a streamlined statewide certification and authorization process that will make it far easier and speedier for major local exchange carriers to enter the market against incumbent cablecos (TelecomWeb news break, Aug. 18).

Also worth mentioning: Many of the reports issued by the Heartland Institute are written by FreedomWorks researchers.

from: Digital Destiny

Heart [less] Institute: Part of the Telecom/Cable Lobby Support System

The Heartland Institute is one of the never-ending series of groups that attempt to place the interests of big phone and cable monopolies before those of the average American. Ideology shapes the findings of this group. If it had a MySpace page, its “friends” would include the Progress and Freedom Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, Cato, and the Pacific Research Foundation. They are a well-connected and networked web of organizations used to advance the narrow, monopoly-building agendas of Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, and a few others.

from: Multichannel News

Ex-Stevens Aide Reports Cable Money
By Ted Hearn 8/23/2006

Mitch Rose, a former aide to Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), earned $270,000 from the cable industry in the first half of 2006, largely to influence a major telecommunications bill drafted by Stevens, according to congressional records.

from: Technology Daily

Telecom, Cable Interests Channel
Donations To Republican Incumbents

By David Hatch
Monday, August 14

Officials of dominant telephone and cable TV companies vying for an upper hand in pending telecommunications legislation are contributing heavily this election season to Republican incumbents who share those firms' deregulatory outlook.

from: Pinnacle News

The fight for local TV
Sunday, August 13, 2006
By Kate Woods

CMAP's director becomes "David" pitted against Goliath telephone companies

Don't look now, but if you live in Gilroy, Hollister or San Juan Bautista, you're on the verge of losing the few stations on your cable menu that give you what you want.

From Roll Call

Stevens Makes Big Telecom Bill Push

August 2, 2006
By Tory Newmyer,
Roll Call Staff

The first major overhaul of telecommunications laws in a decade appears to be sinking in the quicksand of election-year politics.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), is racing to round up enough support for the measure to clear the 60-vote hurdle set by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) before granting the measure floor time. But the Alaska Republican is running into resistance in his own ranks - including from GOPers locked in tough reelection races.

Despite some rumors circulating on blogger sites - nothing is expected to happen this week in the Senate concerning the Steven's Video Franchise Bill.

from: Broadcasting & Cable

No Floor Vote Scheduled for Franchise Bill

By John Eggerton -- 8/1/2006

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has not scheduled a floor vote this week for the video franchise bill, and is "highly unlikely to" given the already crowded schedule, according to a source close to the Leader's office.

from: Willamette Week

TheirSpace

The attack on "net neutrality" threatens your favorite porn, politics or people-gazing website.

BY FIONA MORGAN

John D. Rockefeller realized 135 years ago that the way to control the oil market was to control the transport of oil. So in 1871, he colluded with the railroad industry to form a cartel called the South Improvement Company.

from: iHotDesk

US senator ready to confront 'tubes' jibes

US Senator Ted Stevens shouted down another member of the house during the week and claimed the internet was nothing but a series of tubes.

The senator happens to be on the Senate Commerce Committee which has a great deal of influence over IT and internet legislation. Unsurprisingly he has come in for a great deal of mocking for his comments.

from: Technology Daily

Stevens 'Very Close' To Votes Needed For Senate Telecom Bill

By David Hatch

(Thursday, July 27) Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, expressed confidence that he would reach the 60-vote threshold of support necessary to stave off delaying tactics and move his sweeping telecommunications overhaul measure to the Senate floor.