July 13, 2006
For Immediate Release

Andrew Jay Schwartzman, President and CEO of the Media Access Project, issued the following statement in reaction to today's FCC approval of the Adelphia sale:

The Commission’s conditional approval of the sale of Adelphia’s cable systems represents a significant accomplishment for the media reform community. Viewed in light of the initial predictions that this transaction would receive prompt and complete approval, the FCC has actually looked long and hard at the issues and imposed significant conditions on the deal.

MAP filed a petition to deny asking for conditions assuring that competitors could have access to exclusive programming; including video on demand content and that independent programmers could obtain access to the cable platform. The FCC voted to provide some measure of relief on each of these points.

We are especially pleased that the Commission has voted to breathe life into its long neglected leased access provisions to protect independent programmers.

Thus, Dick Parsons and Brian Roberts got what they wanted, but they received it subject to most of the conditions we sought.

Unfortunately, these conditions are not enough to make us happy about today’s action. The Commission’s failure to assure network neutrality, including non-discriminatory access, on the Internet is a step backwards. In the end, the higher prices and reduced competition that will result from today’s action is contrary to the public interest.

MAP also sought protections to insure that Time Warner and Comcast respect the rights of local franchising authorities to regulate customer service and keep commitments for PEG channel programming. We will continue to fight for these measures before Congress and elsewhere. Media Access Project’s clients in the Adelphia proceeding include: Free Press, Center for Creative Voices in Media, Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc., US Public Interest Group, Center for Digital Democracy, CCTV, Center for Media and Democracy, Media Alliance, National Hispanic Media Coalition and Reclaim the Media. MAP also presented arguments on local franchising and customer service issues on behalf of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

Contact: Andrew Jay Schwartzman
President and CEO
(202) 454-5681
andys@mediaaccess.org