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from: National Journal

Groups Back Telecom Deal Without FCC Disclosures

October 27, 2006
By David Hatch

Some nonprofits that back the AT&T, BellSouth merger receive considerable funding from the companies but do not disclose the ties in their comments to the FCC. No disclosure is required, but some observers think regulators should be made fully aware of the connections.

From New York Times

Cable and Phone Companies Compete, but Both Thrive

November 1, 2006
By Ken Belson

Investors cannot seem to decide what to do with the stocks of phone and cable companies. Last year, they dumped the shares on the hunch that those industries would be hurt as they moved onto each other’s turf.

from:Broadcasting and Cable

Elections' Effect on Media
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/30/2006

“The House is gone.” That's the message from various lobbyists looking ahead to next week's midterm elections. “Gone,” of course, means to Democrats, and a change could have a variety of effects on broadcasters.

from: MultiChannel News

Mad Money
Cable, Phone, Net Companies Have Spent $110 Million This Year To Influence Telecom Reform. Was It Worth It?
By Ted Hearn 10/23/2006

Washington— On a cold evening in February, cable and telecommunications lobbyists packed the second floor of restaurant Bistro Bis on Capitol Hill to salute Mitch Rose’s decision to leave an executive lobbying post at The Walt Disney Co. and go into business for himself.

from: New York Times

Spreading the Broadband Revolution

By WILLIAM E. KENNARD
Published: October 21, 2006
WASHINGTON

LAST week, Google announced that it would pay $1.65 billion to acquire YouTube, a video-sharing Web site started only 20 months ago. At the same time, CBS announced a content-sharing arrangement with YouTube. This is the new world of interactive television, all made possible by fast broadband connections streaming video over the Internet.

from: Broadcasting & Cable

FCC Faces Flurry of Studies
By John Eggerton 10/19/2006 3:35:00 PM

The Media & Democracy Coalition, comprising a host of anti-media consolidation activist groups , plans to "dump 700-800 pages of studies into the FCC's media ownership proceeding that it says proves most media markets are already concentrated enough.

from: Mondaq

United States: Communications Law Bulletin, September 2006
12 October 2006
Article by Charles H. Kennedy
The Month in Brief (excerpt)

Legislative Developments

With Congress set to recess at the end of October, many observers and analysts are predicting that Congress will not pass communications reform legislation before the November elections or even before the end of the year. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Ak.) conceded that, as of September 21, he was unable to round up the necessary 60 votes to avoid a filibuster on the Senate bill (HR-5252). Even if the 60 votes could be obtained, another hurdle to passing the bill this year is clearing time on the Senate floor to allow 60 hours of debate, as required under Senate procedural rules. The Senate bill continues to face strong opposition from Democrats seeking Net neutrality provisions, although portions of the bill, such as video franchise reform, enjoy strong bipartisan support. Some have speculated that the bill could be passed this year if it is segmented into separate bills, but Sen. Stevens has insisted that he will not section off portions of the bill or attempt to attach it to an appropriations or other bill in order to increase its likelihood of passage. It is unclear how a possible change of control of one or both houses of Congress would affect the bill’s prospects when Congress returns after the November elections.

from: Digital Destiny

AT&T’s “30-Month” Net Neutrality Merger Trade-in Offer: What a Joke!

So desperate to become a digital colossus once it swallows BellSouth, AT&T offered the dissident Democrats on the FCC a network neutrality “concession” today. Unbelievably, AT&T offered to operate its broadband Internet system as an open and democratic network—but only for 30 months! The offer illustrates how unethical and cynical the top executives are at Ma(d) Bell. `Yes, U.S. public,’ they say. `We will give you a democratic Internet for a brief moment, if you let us grow as an even larger unaccountable monopoly.’ AT&T’s offer underscores why permanent network neutrality safeguards are worth fighting for. The very companies who will provide the vast majority of broadband service, such as AT&T, really don’t want the public to have it.

from: Broadcasting & Cable

FTC Issues Municipal Wireless Report
By John Eggerton -- , 10/10/2006 4:59:00 PM

Democratic FTC Commissioner Jon Leibowitz says a new staff report on municipal Wireless Internet networks released by the commission Tuesday should be used to counter state attempts to prohibit cities and towns from creating a government "third pipe" to the home.

from: National Journal

Senate Panel Releases Report On Its Telecom Bill

(Monday, October 2) The Senate Commerce Committee this past weekend released its long-awaited report on telecommunications legislation that it approved in late June. The 283-page report provides additional detail about the measure and includes a dissent from prominent Democrats.