Comcast’s willingness to hire representatives with a background at the FCC gives the cable operator an advantage when dealing with the agency, said attorneys and executives -- some former FCC officials themselves. Though industry observers disagree over whether that advantage stops at merely having one’s phone calls returned or extends to more palpable agency favors, all said inside knowledge of FCC processes and personnel gives Charter Communications, Comcast and Time Warner Cable a boost when dealing with the commission.
Status quo prevailed in 16 of the 17 state regulatory commission races where a winner was clear Wednesday. The Democrats gained one net seat after former New Mexico Public Regulation Commission Chairman Sandy Jones defeated PRC Commissioner Ben Hall, a Republican, by 1,482 votes. The Republicans retained at least 13 seats they held before the election, while the Democrats retained their three seats. The results in one seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) remained unclear. A Republican is assured of winning the remaining Louisiana PSC seat following a Dec. 6 runoff because both of the candidates -- incumbent PSC Commissioner Eric Skrmetta and energy policy advocate Forest Wright -- are Republicans.
A GOP-controlled Capitol Hill is likely to charge forward on telecom and media overhaul in a powerful way in the 114th Congress, advancing on issues it could never make ground on with two divided chambers, industry lobbyists and observers told us. Expect action on several key priorities, including overhaul of the Communications Act and potentially more partisan measures such as net neutrality and stopping FCC pre-emption of state laws restricting municipal broadband, they said.
CEA is "excited" that Republicans will retake control of the Senate because it will end the reign of Harry Reid, D-Nev., as Senate majority leader, CEA President Gary Shapiro said in an interview Wednesday on the results of the midterm elections and their CE industry implications..