Mayor Karl Dean receives CABLE Power of Inclusion award

Today at the CABLE Nashville luncheon, Mayor Karl Dean received the Individual Award for the Power of Inclusion. Other nominees included Carol Etherington, Marcy Johnson, and John Seigenthaler. The speaker for the event was Maria Echaveste, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the second Clinton administration. TEP was glad to contribute material for the nomination of the Mayor for the award for his inclusive approach to Nashville's GLBT community. Congratulations, Mayor Dean.

And your point is?

The Tennessean has a piece on Sen. Bill Ketron's (R-Murfreesboro) failure to "mention" that his wife works for AT&T Mobility. The inflammatory title reads "Senator discloses AT&T link after vote," referring to the recent cable compromise bill that the Legislature passed. That title comes as a surprise given that the paper admits "he had noted [the relationship] on his ethics disclosures this year." Um, I guess he disclosed it before and after the vote.

I think the point they're trying to make is that Sen. Ketron should have brought it up during debate on the bill.

Facts are missing in the story. What is his wife's role at AT&T Mobility? And to what degree does the mobile division coordinate with the cable division? That might have helped build the case that there is a conflict of interest.

"Cable companies don't get much," says Joe White

Joe White discusses the cable compromise bill for WPLN in this audio file http://wpln.org/?p=530 . He does say, though, that it slows down AT&T. Public access interests don't get much out of the bill. Low-income neighborhoods get some protections.

Equally distasteful to all--the cable compromise

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080408/NEWS02/80408156

It advanced in the House today. We're not promised lower rates, as the AT&T commercials have been advertising would come with competition. But we may get a slower growth in rates. I guess that's right up there with those rare days when gas goes down a penny a gallon.

Here's what the Governor had to say: "Gov. Phil Bredesen called the bill 'equally distasteful to all parties, which is always a good sign.'" Equally distasteful to all...I suppose that's the new standard for legislation. It's not exactly the compliment that Speaker Naifeh was probably looking for.

Cable compromise announced

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/apr/07/040708webcable/

It looks as if we might see an end to those awful and constant commercials about the cable bill. Lawmakers announced a compromise today that includes stiff penalties for violations. The bill should be heard tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Cable/AT&T compromise may be announced Monday

http://politics.nashvillecityblogs.com/?p=505 .

I certainly hope so. Those constant commercials about the legislation are tiring.

The Guv changing his tune on Speaker's AT&T/Cable compromise

Rex Noseworthy of the Nashville City Paper notes a change in Gov. Bredesen's tune on House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh's efforts to broker a compromise in the Comcast-AT&T cable dispute that has nagged the Legislature and local communities. http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=59249 . Previously somewhat dismissive of Naifeh's efforts, the Governor is now saying, "Basically, I think if the speaker puts his mind to something, he's likely to get it accomplished." Well put!