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CABLE POWER RANKINGS
Federal
campaign-finance rules prevent cable companies from contributing to
CablePAC, the NCTA-affiliated group that promotes the industry's agenda
in Washington. Employees of those companies, however, are free to give
up to $5,000 per year. But not all of the top MSOs share the same sense
of urgency on cable's lobbying priorities, as illustrated in CableWorld's
own CablePAC index. The rankings measure CablePAC donations from
employees of the top ten MSOs as a percentage of each company's total
number of subscribers.
| COMPANY |
SIZE RANKING |
SUBSCRIBERS |
CABLEPAC DONATIONS |
POWER RANKING |
| Cox Communications |
5 |
6,193,300 |
$106,450 |
1.70 |
| Time Warner Cable |
2 |
12,751,000 |
$142,250 |
1.10 |
| Insight Communications |
8 |
919,300 |
$9,000 |
0.97 |
| Cablevision Systems |
7 |
2,830,800 |
$26,500 |
0.93 |
| Mediacom LLC |
9 |
779,000 |
$6,000 |
0.77 |
| Cable One |
10 |
734,9000 |
$5,000 |
0.68 |
| Comcast Cable |
3 |
7,606,800 |
$35,000 |
0.46 |
| Adelphia Communications |
6 |
5,292,000 |
$22,000 |
0.41 |
| Charter Communications |
4 |
6,350,900 |
$21,600 |
0.34 |
| AT&T Broadband |
1 |
16,090,000 |
$10,000 |
0.06 |
TOP DONORS TO CABLEPAC 1999-2000
| DONOR |
TOTAL |
| Charles Dolan, chairman, Cablevision Systems |
$10,000 |
| James Dolan, president, CEO, Cablevision Systems |
$10,000 |
| James Kennedy, chairman, CEO, Cox Enterprises |
$8,000 |
|
 |
|
Top 10 recipients of contributions sourced to this organization
|
|
Recipient
|
Amount
|
|
National Democratic Party
Committees
|
$311,430
|
|
National Republican Party
Committees
|
$72,850
|
|
President George W Bush (R)
|
$24,650
|
|
Erskine B Bowles (D-NC)
|
$13,000
|
|
Sen John F Kerry (D-MA)
|
$12,650
|
|
Michael J Coles (D-GA)
|
$12,000
|
|
Sen Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
|
$11,590
|
|
Sen Harry Reid (D-NV)
|
$10,500
|
|
Rep Wilbert J Tauzin, Jr (R-LA)
|
$10,500
|
|
Sen John S McCain (R-AZ)
|
$10,400
|
|
Source: Federal Election Commission
contribution records from 1998 to 2004
|
COX Lobbying expeditures by year |
|
|
|
$640,000
|
$720,000
|
$800,000
|
$2,220,000
|
$1,567,000
|
$1,361,614
|
$1,243,753
|
|
|
|
1998
|
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
|
Source: U.S.
Senate Office of Public Records lobbying disclosure records from 1998 to 2004.
|
|
Total Lobbying Expenditures by Firm
|
$11 million to defeat free-air-time bills
The
dirty little secret is that from 1996 through 1998, the NAB and five
media outlets — ABC, CBS, A.H. Belo Corp., Meredith Corp., and Cox
Enterprises—cumulatively spent nearly $11 million to defeat a dozen
campaign finance bills mandating free air time for political
candidates. One company lobbyist willing to talk to us was Jerry
Hadenfeldt, who represents Meredith, owner of a dozen TV stations, 20
magazines, and publisher of more than 300 books. "Free political ads
are basically picking the pockets of a select group, namely television
broadcasters," he says, "They [candidates] already get the lowest
available rates, and that's the way we
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Breakdown of Political Contributions
by
Major Broadcasters
|
|
Broadcaster
|
Republican
|
Democratic
|
Total Contribtions
|
|
1. News Corporation
Limited.* (Fox Entertainment Group Inc.)
|
35.57%
|
63.88%
|
$840,106
|
|
2. CBS Television
Network (Viacom Inc.)
|
31.19%
|
68.56%
|
$4,022,089
|
|
3. NBC Universal
Inc. (General Electric Co.)
|
57.50%
|
42.10%
|
$6,664,859
|
|
4. Tribune Co .
|
54.43%
|
45.04%
|
$188,395
|
|
5. ABC Inc. (Walt
Disney Co .)
|
48.87%
|
50.78%
|
$3,516,037
|
|
6. Gannett Company
Inc.
|
46.79%
|
50.66%
|
$40,075
|
|
7. Hearst-Argyle
Television Inc. ( Hearst Corp .)
|
49.68%
|
47.18%
|
$159,304
|
|
8. Sinclair Broadcast
Group Inc.
|
95.56%
|
4.44%
|
$334,425
|
|
9. Belo Corp.
|
49.90%
|
50.10%
|
$24,150
|
|
10. Cox Enterprises
Inc.
|
32.00%
|
68.00%
|
$651,016
|
|
*Totals
for News Corp. exclude contributions by Haim Saban, once half-owner of
Fox Family Worldwide. Saban and News Corp. sold that property to the Walt Disney Co. in 2001
|
FEC
records show that executives at most of the top media corporations have
written checks as well as editorials. Contributions have come from top
executives at Gannett (134 newspapers, ten TV stations, 16 radio
stations, billboards); Times Mirror (seven newspapers, 15 magazines,
four TV stations); The Washington Post Company (two newspapers, four TV
stations, and Newsweek magazine); KnightRidder (37 newspapers, eight TV
stations); Cox Enterprises (20 newspapers, nine TV stations); Time Inc.
(17 magazines, HBO, Cinemax, and cable affiliates in 32 states); U.S.
News and World Report; Capital Cities/ABC (eight TV stations, 39
newspapers and "about 80 magazines," said a spokesperson); NBC; and
many others.
Giving
money isn't necessarily improper. Media employees, like others, have
the right to make contributions. Where the press goes wrong is in its
failure to disclose the contributions it's making. Given the media's
role as watchdog of others' disclosures, this failure is a pointed one.
After all, they're the ones who always decry the insidious influence of
money on politics. A Los Angeles Times editorial, published last
winter, is typical: "In return for their money, contributors clearly
get favored treatment. All they get is access, the members always
protest, but access is the most important thing that a senator or
congressman can provide, short of selling a vote outright."
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Company
(listed in order of revenue)*
|
2000 Election
Cycle
|
2002 Election
Cycle
|
Company Total
|
D
(%)
|
R
(%)
|
|
AOL Time Warner**
|
$4,195,811
|
$2,009,691
|
$6,205,502
|
63
|
36
|
|
Disney
|
$1,505,182
|
$1,282,839
|
$2,788,021
|
55
|
45
|
|
Viacom
|
$1,066,275
|
$2,092,341
|
$3,158,616
|
81
|
19
|
|
Comcast
|
$613,609
|
$567,672
|
$1,181,281
|
47
|
53
|
|
Sony
|
$323,840
|
$227,799
|
$551,639
|
67
|
33
|
|
Vivendi Universal
|
$2,126,960
|
$1,271,363
|
$3,398,323
|
65
|
35
|
|
News Corp.
|
$1,041,873
|
$743,995
|
$1,785,868
|
38
|
62
|
|
Cox Communications
|
$250,741
|
$88,100
|
$338,841
|
56
|
44
|
|
Ray Nagin ,
49 (bio)
Mayor of New Orleans 2002-present
|
|
$3,000
|
Republican
|
|
$5,900
|
Democrat
|
|
$2,500
|
special
interest
|
|
total: $11,400
|
|
|
|
|
Contributor
|
Candidate
or PAC
|
Amount
|
Date
|
|
NAGIN,
RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70122
COX COMMUNICATIONS
|
LANDRIEU, MARY L (D)
Senate - LA
LOUISIANA
SENATE 2002
|
$1,000
primary
|
12/31/01
|
|
Nagin,
Ray
New
Orleans, LA 70122
Cox/VP
|
NATIONAL CABLE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NCTA PAC)
|
$1,000
primary
|
04/05/01
|
|
NAGIN,
RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70122
COX COMMUNICATIONS INC
|
TAUZIN, WILBERT J II (R)
House (LA 03)
BILLY TAUZIN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE, THE
|
$1,000
general
|
09/27/00
|
|
NAGIN,
RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70122
COX COMMUNICATIONS
|
TAUZIN, WILBERT J II (R)
House (LA 03)
BILLY TAUZIN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE, THE
|
$1,000
primary
|
06/23/99
|
|
NAGIN,
C RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70122
COX COMMUNICATIONS
|
BUSH, GEORGE W (R)
President
BUSH FOR PRESIDENT INC.
|
$1,000
primary
|
03/30/99
|
|
NAGIN,
C RAY
NEW
ORLEANS,
COX CABLE
|
TUBBS-JONES, STEPHANIE (D)
House (OH 11)
STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES FOR US
CONGRESS
|
$1,000
primary
|
04/16/98
|
|
NAGIN,
C RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70112
COX COMMUNICATIONS CABLE SYSTEM
|
BREAUX, JOHN B (D)
Senate - LA
JOHN BREAUX COMMITTEE
|
$1,000
primary
|
06/30/97
|
|
NAGIN,
RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70112
COX COMMUNICATION
|
NATIONAL CABLE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NCTA PAC)
|
$500
primary
|
05/30/96
|
|
NAGIN,
RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70112
COX CABLE
|
NATIONAL CABLE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NCTA PAC)
|
$500
primary
|
06/24/93
|
|
NAGIN,
C RAY
NEW ORLEANS,
LA 70112
COX CABLE/NEW ORLEANS
|
BREAUX, JOHN B (D)
Senate - LA
JOHN BREAUX COMMITTEE
|
$500
general
|
03/31/92
|
|
NAGIN,
C RAY
NEW ORLEANS,
LA 70112
COX CABLE/NEW ORLEANS
|
BREAUX, JOHN B (D)
Senate - LA
JOHN BREAUX COMMITTEE
|
$500
primary
|
03/31/92
|
|
NAGIN,
C RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70112
COX CABLE NEW ORLEANS INC
|
JOHNSTON, JOHN BENNETT III (D)
House (CA 06)
JOHNSTON FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE
|
$500
primary
|
01/22/92
|
|
NAGIN,
C RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70112
COX CABLE
|
BREAUX, JOHN B (D)
Senate - LA
JOHN BREAUX COMMITTEE
|
$1,000
primary
|
06/28/91
|
|
NAGIN,
C RAY
NO, LA 70112
COX CABLE
|
BAGNERIS, MICHAEL GREGORY (D)
House (LA 02)
MICHAEL BAGNERIS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
|
$200
primary
|
10/04/90
|
|
NAGIN,
C RAY
N O, LA 70112
COX CABLE
|
BAGNERIS, MICHAEL GREGORY (D)
House (LA 02)
MICHAEL BAGNERIS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
|
$200
primary
|
10/04/90
|
|
NAGIN,
RAY
NEW
ORLEANS, LA 70112
COX CABLE
|
NATIONAL CABLE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NCTA PAC)
|
$500
primary
|
04/30/90
|
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