Verizon, AT&T Pledge To Match Cable Fees

SEIDENBERG, WHITACRE PLEDGE TO MATCH CABLE FEES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg and AT&T CEO Edward Whitacre pledged to the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday that their companies were prepared to pay “the same franchise fees cable pays" if the government streamlines the franchise process. At a hearing on video franchising, Seidenberg promised that his company would "carry public, educational and government (PEG) channels" and said it "supports preserving local governments’ authority over rights-of-way and expects to be subject to federal redlining rules that apply to cable" for its FiOS video service. Whitacre argued that without state or national franchising, AT&T will have to strike 1,600 local franchising deals to roll out its video service. "If we completed one deal a week," he said, "that would take 30 years." Cablevision CEO Tom Rutledge countered that the issue wasn't that telcos couldn't get the franchises but instead that they hadn't tried.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6307772?display=Breaking+News...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

* Verizon CEO to Congress: Time for Consumer Choice and Price Competition in Video Market
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=9623

* Dysfunctional Cable TV Marketplace Costs Consumers Too Much But Cure Is Simple and Within Congress' Reach
(press release from Bell-backed Consumers for Cable Choice)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060215/clw500.html?.v=28

* Legislation Would Release Businesses From Industry Monopoly
(press release from National Black Chamber of Commerce)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/0...

* Bells Call for Franchising Relief
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10020...

* Telecoms, cable firms take franchise fight to D.C.
http://news.com.com/Telecoms%2C+cable+firms+take+franchise+fight+to+D.C....

* Armey Praises Senators' Competition Commitment
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, now co-chairman of conservative group Freedomworks (lower taxes, smaller government), Wednesday praised six Senate Commerce Committee members for their support of video franchise regulation reform.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6308048?display=Breaking+News...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

* CableVision's Rutledge Backs Franchising Status Quo
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6308049.html?display=Breaking+News
(requires subscription)

* Will Congress Open the Doors for IPTV?
http://www.tvover.net/Will+Congress+Open+The+Doors+For+IPTV.aspx