Tennis Channel Volleys NCTA Opposition

Points to strength of Comcast influence on association

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/30/2012 3:17:06 PM

 "It should surprise no one that the NCTA has come out against the FCC's decision this week to uphold the ALJ ruling regarding Tennis Channel and Comcast," Tennis Channel said in a statement following the association's blog posting taking aim at the decision affecting its largest member.

"It needs to be noted that 1) Comcast is the largest dues payer in the NCTA; 2) the most recent ex-president and CEO of the NCTA, Kyle McSlarrow, is now head of Comcast's lobbying and government affairs office in Washington, D.C.; 3) Brian Roberts, Comcast Corporation chairman and CEO, has been a multiterm chairman of the NCTA board of directors and remains a board member at this time; and 4) Neil Smit, president and CEO, Comcast Cable/executive VP, Comcast Corporation, is currently secretary of the NCTA executive committee.

Additionally, independent programmers, while members of the NCTA, generally have no representation within the organization."

In a blog posting last week, McSlarrow called the decision a "dramatic regulatory overreach that cannot be justified.