Media Access Project Data Back Martin’s 70/70 Claim

MEDIA ACCESS PROJECT DATA BACK MARTIN'S 70/70 CLAIM
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Media Access Project Friday provided FCC Commissioners Robert McDowell and Deborah Taylor Tate with information supporting Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin's contention, based on data supplied to the FCC, that cable has met the 70/70 threshold. In its letter to the two Commissioners responding to their concerns about the "trustworthiness, truthfulness and viability" of the data, MAP said it was all of those things. The 70/70 threshold was passed in 2005, the group argued, and that second figure now stands at 77%. Warren’s numbers actually underreported subscribers, while the cable industry -- which puts the second figure at about 60% and going down -- underreported penetration. MAP also said adding telco subscribers to the cable figure would leave no doubt that the benchmark had been met. Cable would argue that this would be adding in a competitor's numbers in a finding of cable's market power. MAP makes the semantic argument that the cable industry itself has referred to telco video as "cable" systems. Chairman Martin is said to want to vote out the Video Competition Report, including the 70/70 conclusion, at the commission's expected Nov. 27 meeting.
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