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from: Knox News

TV cable bill piles up lobby costs

Funds spent for and against measure total $2M each side

By TOM HUMPHREY, tomhumphrey3@aol.com
May 16, 2007

NASHVILLE - Lobbying in support of legislation to revise state cable television law has cost almost $2 million, roughly the same amount as lobbying against it, according to disclosures filed Wednesday with the Tennessee Ethics Commission.

AT&T reported that, as of March 31, it had paid lobbyists between $250,000 and $300,000 in compensation while spending $1.3 million on lobbyist-related activities - mostly broadcast ads urging citizens to call legislators and push them to vote for the "Competitive Cable and Video Services Act."

TV4US, another group supporting the bill, reported it has spent between $300,000 and $350,000 in lobbyist-related activities, though it paid less than $10,000 in direct compensation to lobbyists.

Thus, the total spent in lobbying for passage of the bill would be between at least $1.8 million and $1.9 million.

The Tennessee Telecommunications Association, which represents the cable industry, reported a day earlier that it had spend $200,000 and $250,000 on payments to lobbyists during the period, plus more than $1.65 million on related expenses in opposing the bill, SB1933.

Comcast Cable Co., meanwhile, reported it has paid lobbyists $100,000 to $150,000 and spent between $25,000 and $50,000 on related matters.

The total disclosed costs of lobbying against passage by the association and Comcast would thus be between $1.975 million and $2.1 million.

The bill would set up a statewide cable franchise system in Tennessee, allowing AT&T to compete against cable companies operating under the current system of local franchising. Local governments, which are not required to report lobbying expenditures, have actively supported the cable companies in opposing the bill.

The measure has been subject of lengthy and intense debate in the House and Senate Commerce Committees - continuing through Wednesday - but has not yet been put to a vote in either panel.

The deadline for filing reports on lobbying expenditures, required under a law enacted last year, passed on Wednesday. The reports cover the period of Oct. 1, 2006, through March 31, 2007.

The totals are expected to grow substantially when expenditures after March 31 are eventually reported in November. The Legislature remains in session and both cable companies and AT&T continued to run broadcast ads through April.

Tom Humphrey may be reached at 615-242-7782.