Media observers were puzzled by an FTC request for information in...
Media observers were puzzled by an FTC request for information in its review of Adelphia’s proposed takeover. The FTC on Wed. asked for “data” from a 2002 cable price survey, the FCC said Thurs. That survey found average monthly…
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cable rates rose 8.2% the 12 months ended July 2002; Adelphia filed for bankruptcy June 25, 2002. The FTC, which said it would try to protect the confidentiality of information, declined to comment on its information request. “It’s conceivable that the FTC is looking to see whether there’s a correlation between the size of cable operators and the rates they charge,” said Stanford Washington Research Group analyst Paul Gallant, a former aide to 2 FCC commissioners. “But asking for just one year’s data makes it hard to say for sure what they're looking for.” Asked about the FTC request, Precursor CEO Scott Cleland said: “I don’t think it’s exceptionally significant, they're doing their job. They're taking a baseline look; they may ask for more later,” such as data for 2003 and 2004. The FTC may be operating on the assumption that “once they [went] into bankruptcy, Adelphia may be behaving differently,” said Mark Cooper of the Consumer Federation of America.