McCain Group Got Big Cable Donation While Senator Promoted Company Policy

[woodsprite]

Hope this isn't a dupe. Didn't see anything on it yet.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBJN82716E.html

From AP Enterprise:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. John McCain pressed a cable company's case for pricing changes with regulators at the same time a tax-exempt group that he co-founded solicited $200,000 in contributions from the company.

Help from McCain, who argues for ridding politics of big money, included giving the CEO of Cablevision Systems Corp. the opportunity to testify before his Senate committee, writing a letter of support to the Federal Communication Commission and asking other cable companies to support so-called a la carte pricing.

Cablevision is the nation's eighth largest cable provider, serving about 3 million customers in the New York area.

The pricing plan is opposed by most of the cable industry. It would let customers pick the channels they want rather than buy fixed-price packages. Supporters, like McCain and Cablevision, say it would lower prices for consumers, but recent congressional and private studies concluded it could make cable more expensive.

[Sporadicus]

1. This Plan Would Spell the Demise

of smaller channels that couldn't survive unless they were 'bundled' into a cable or satellite-dish package. It would be the deathknell for LinkTV - along with DemocracyNOW!, among others.

[sacxtra]

4. Support Public Access, Support DemocracyNOW

And fix this

[nolabels]

7. Hacked at the chip level could possibly also make sense

Nice spiffy flow chart, good to see you here at DU :hi:

[RoyGBiv]

18. This is exactly correct ...

I am so glad I saw this as the first response in this thread.

Purely as raw theory, a la carte pricing sounds like a grand idea. You get what you want and only pay for what you want. Unfortunately, that's not the way it works, nor is it the way anything works in figuring pricing structures.

In implementation, this idea purely sucks and ensures that the only channels that will be offered are those that produce high profit margins. This ends up working in exactly opposite the direction people who want it are thinking.

[Cocoa]

2. McCain is a bigger hack than Greenspan n/t

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

17. Yup.

Always funny to see him get some support here as an "honest broker." His voting record is to the right of Santorum. That's all I need to know.

[tmooses]

3. Do we have a photo of McCain humiliating himself before the ..

Cablevision CEO the way he did before Bush?

[Itsthetruth]

5. McCain For Vice-President

Gee. Isn't it terrible that McCain wasn't the Democratic Party candidate for Vice-President?

I do recall some people advocating a Kerry/McCain ticket.

They must be hiding now! :)

[Skidmore]

6. So much for Mr. Campaign Finance Reform...

[AlCzervik]

10. *McCain-Feingold

*not apllicable to McCain

[AlCzervik]

8. wow....the self righteous McCain, what a nerve!

[cosmicdot]

9. so, if people choose not to have Faux and Pat Robertson

... in their packages ... would that mean Murdoch and the 700 Club lose revenue?


we certainly could use better 'choice' ... we need more quality, educational, cultural, alternative, international, and other worthwile programming ... how few people decide what is viewed and bundled? likely people who more likely have annual goals of reducing costs vs. increasing society's knowledge and quality of life ...

it's McTV brought to us by corporate america

if consumers had more say, would that have an effect on competiton, which might motivate creativity? the more 'junk' people drop from the package could have some positive effect ...

TV ... so much potential ... and, most of it is a wasteland ...


btw, the CEO of Cablevision, Charles Dolan donated a chunk of change
to the RNC in 2004:

DOLAN, CHARLES F MR
WOODBURY,NY 11797
CABLEVISION SYSTEMS/CHAIRMAN & C.E.
6/4/2004
$25,000
Republican National Cmte

opensecrets.org

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. Yeah, and he approved Rice and Gonzales too

Check his voting record for what and who he really is supporting. Any people who are still fantasizing about John McCain as a great potential healer of the divide between the neocon cabal and the progressives needs to wake up. He's in the neocon camp and a participating member. Take any expressions of righteous outrage from him with much skepticism, and don't waste your trust on him.

[KoKo]

12. On the dole like "Jimmy/Jeff" McCain plays both sides against the middle

Corruption...and they thought they would never be found out.. More disgusting Corporatist's payola to the Repugs...and it's not only the Repugs..sadly..it's the Dems, too.

Anyone who supported that "suck up" for Dem Vice President should "rue that day." He isn't honest...he's a Repug. "Lie down with fleas and you will get up with them." :puke:

[acmavm]

13. Just an example of the Senator sinking (like water) to his own level.

Can we all say Charles Keating boys and girls? I thought so.

[Skidmore]

14. So is McCain being outed to clear the field for

Jebbie?

[Eloriel]

15. Not just "got," but SOLICITED

at the same time a tax-exempt group that he co-founded solicited $200,000 in contributions from the company.

Mr. Campaign Finance Reform isn't so pure after all, is he?

[autorank]

16. Don't forget, McCain was admonished by the Senate on SL ethics

charges. He took lavish vacations provided by Charles Keating, the biggest rip-off artist in the Savings & Loan scandal. Keating had major interests in Arizona. He's been a buddy of Quest and big telecom for years, adamant in pushing their interests.

He's a public figure with a good "grab," his remarkable war experience...which, of course, in no way qualifies him as either a political leader or paragon of virtue in politics.

He showed his stuff by supporting Bush this time.

When the American people decide to think instead of adore, we may have a chance, which will be never...

Optimistically yours, autorank

[PurityOfEssence]

19. What still amazes me is how many people on this site LIKE this guy

A smiling Nazi is still a Nazi.

[TexasLawyer]

20. NewsMax

This story is running prominently on the very, very RW NewsMax website. It's always interesting to see who they're smearing.


http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/3/7/211928.shtml

[kaitykaity]

21. This is nothing compared to the crimes of the BCF,

yet it'll take him out of the running for '08.

Hmm.