NEW CONGRESS SEES NEW LOBBYING CONTRACTS FOR TELECOM, MEDIA COMPANIES
With a new year comes new lobbying contracts, and several telecom and mass media companies already have signed groups to lobby on their behalf on Capitol Hill and at regulatory agencies. Adelphia, AT&T, EarthLink, Motorola, Nextel and SBC all have added representation since Jan., according to disclosure records held by the Secy. of the Senate, with broadband and spectrum issues looming large.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
EarthLink hired Infotech Strategies in Jan. to lobby on broadband competition, particularly on the issue of access to cable broadband networks. The lobbyists include Ann Morton, former legislative counsel to House Internet Caucus Co-Chmn. Boucher (D-Va.) and a veteran of Wiley, Rein & Fielding; Greg Simon, prominent in the 1990s as chief domestic policy adviser to then-Vice President Al Gore; and Kristan Van Hook, who was dir.-congressional affairs at both NTIA and the Commerce Dept.
Nextel hired Regina Keeney of Lawler, Metzger & Milkman to represent it on “public safety radio issues.” Keeney is a former Wireless Bureau, Wireline Bureau and International Bureau chief at the FCC. Motorola hired Loeffler, Jonas & Tuggey, adding lobbyists Tom Loeffler, former Republican House member from Tex., and Jon Plebani, a special adviser to former President Bill Clinton.
Other 2003 signings: (1) AT&T in Feb. signed the Roth Group for general lobbying, hiring lobbyist Toby Roth (R- Wis.), a member of Congress 1979-1997. (2) Adelphia hired Clark & Assoc., with Steve Clark as lobbyist. (3) SBC hired Davis Manafort, with Richard Davis as lobbyist. Davis was campaign manager for Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) in the 2000 presidential race.