Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, blasted the ongoing sports blackout rule despite having praised a recent FCC vote on the topic. “While the FCC’s recent unanimous vote to eliminate the Sports Blackout Rule is excellent news for fans and taxpayers across Ohio and across the country, the NFL should do everything it can to ensure” that the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday playoff game “is not blacked out,” Brown said in a statement Thursday (http://1.usa.gov/1iwR5AX). “This is unacceptable at a time when the price of attending games continues to rise and the economy is not yet where it needs to be. Fans, through local taxes, often help pay for the stadiums. They should be able to cheer on their local teams, especially during the playoffs.”

NTCA has its eye on Congress in 2014, CEO Shirley Bloomfield said in two blog posts this week. “For Congress, I see a renewed strategic approach, given the current issues on the table, pending elections and a possible rewrite of the Communications Act,” she said in one post (http://bit.ly/1g3S9rZ). “It is likely time to move from our grassroots Swing State strategy to a renewed Farm Team effort, giving me deja vu thinking back on hundreds of hours I spent with the ‘Farm Team’ in the early 80s leading up to the 1996 Telecom Act Rewrite (did I just date myself?), and a renewed effort with members to understand the importance of TECO,” its political action committee, the Telecommunications Education Committee Organization. In another post (http://bit.ly/1lD30uf), Bloomfield described receiving a card from House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. The note thanked NTCA for backing HR-3719, the Video Choice Act, which Eshoo had introduced in December. “She expressed her hopes for a vibrant video marketplace in the future -- one where there is healthy competition, consumer choice and basic protections for consumers and one that adapts to a 21st century video reality,” Bloomfield said. “We hope for the very same thing, and that also includes dealing with retransmission consent agreements and real efforts to ensure affordable access to programming.” More than 80 percent of NTCA’s membership has “some video interests,” Bloomfield said.

Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mark Pryor, D-Ark., is scheduled to address the state regulators of NARUC in February, according to a preliminary agenda. NARUC’s winter meeting will be in Washington Feb. 9-12. Few major speakers or panels have been announced, with some conference days entirely unfilled, but the NARUC agenda shows Pryor scheduled to speak at a Feb. 11 general session starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Renaissance Washington Hotel. Registration for the meeting opened in mid-December.

As 2013 ends, AT&T leads among telecom and media companies in campaign donations in the 2014 midterm election cycle, according to data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics. The telco had contributed $1.29 million as of Saturday’s FEC data, the ninth highest total of any entity, according to the center’s charting, with 66 percent of the money going to Republicans. Comcast ranked No. 16 with donations of $1.07 million, evenly split by party. Verizon Communications ranked 35th with donations of $781,461, 56 percent of which went to Republicans. The Communications Workers of America followed closely after, its donations of $747,750 ranking 39th. Of CWA donations, 97 percent went to Democrats. NCTA ranked No. 100 and gave $428,000, roughly split by party. Among those donating lesser amounts, NAB gave $349,100, Cox Enterprises $337,550, Dish $329,445, Time Warner Cable $315,999 and CenturyLink $283,450. Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mark Pryor, D-Ark., raised the eighth highest amount of money for any 2014 Senate incumbent, at $4.2 million as of Monday FEC reports. He faces a tough race in 2014, and the center’s data show it’s one of the most expensive races in the country. In the Arkansas Senate race, candidates have raised $7.49 million and spent $3.4 million, as of Monday. The communications and electronics industry has collectively donated about $24.46 million in this cycle, 59 percent of that going to Democrats. Top recipients include, in order from largest donations, Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Mark Pryor, D-Ark., House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio. Both Booker and Markey won special elections for their Senate seats in 2013.

U.S. Cellular is open to new technologies that may help prevent theft of smartphones and has not rejected any “kill switch” proposal, it said. A spokeswoman for the company confirmed Monday it received a letter from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sent earlier that day (CD Dec 31 p3). The letter pressed U.S. Cellular and other carriers on whether they had received any kill switch proposals from manufacturers and how they were working to prevent smartphone theft. “We are currently reviewing Sen. Klobuchar’s letter and will respond soon,” the spokeswoman told us. “U.S. Cellular has not rejected a ‘kill switch’ proposal from Samsung and, despite reports to the contrary, Samsung has never made such a proposal to U.S. Cellular, nor asked for our views or our permission on whether to include one in their devices. As new technologies become available, we will give them prompt consideration in determining their utility in preventing smartphone theft, as safety of our customers is of paramount importance to us.” Klobuchar wanted responses from the companies by Jan. 9. With questions arising about stolen cellphones, the FCC Tuesday reminded consumers in an agency tweet that they can contact their carrier if their device is stolen. The tweet links to an FCC page on carrier contact information (http://fcc.us/19zJ3Vb).