CPT, CFA, CME, MAP and ACM oppose TCI on DBS

[James Love <love@tap.org>]

  The Consumer Project on Technology    NEWS RELEASE
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PO Box 19367			Telephone		Fax
Washington, DC  20036		202.387.8030	202.234.5176
 

July 15, 1996

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


         Five Public Interest Groups Oppose TCI

On Monday July 15, 1996 five telecommunications public interest 
groups-Consumer Project on Technology, Media Access Project, 
Alliance for Community Media, Center for Media Education, and 
Consumer Federation of America-will file a joint letter with Senate 
Majority Leader Trent Lott opposing potential Congressional action 
in support of TCI's bid to gain control of a high-powered Canadian 
Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) position.  

The five public interest groups seek to prevent TCI from 
successfully lobbying for Congressional support in its quest for the 
Canadian slot.  The letter recognizes the potential benefit from 
additional DBS competitors in the US market, but states that "these 
benefits are significantly eroded if the company acquiring the 
Canadian frequencies is TCI."  The public interest groups indicated 
concern over TCI's "infamous reputation for heavy-handed practices" 
and the fact that as "the largest US cable operator, TCI has the 
most to lose from competition with DBS operators."  The letter went 
on to say that these factors make TCI "uniquely ill-suited" to 
become a major DBS operator-particularly when DBS is "intended to 
compete with traditional cable monopolies" like TCI. 

TCI's attempts to gain FCC approval were set back by a July 1, 1996 
letter from the Departments of Justice, Commerce, and State as well 
as the Office of the US Trade Representative citing concern over the 
"anti-competitive" effect of the US's largest cable operator 
becoming a major player in the high-power DBS market.



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* Todd J. Paglia, Esq.		Center for Study of Responsive Law  *
* tpaglia@essential.org 	    Taxpayer Assets Project	    *
*        			    Consumer Project on Technology  *
*								    *
*    A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,        *
* adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.          *
*                                                                   *
*                           --Emerson                               *
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