Charter, T-Mobile Boosted Lobbying Spending in Q3
Charter Communications and T-Mobile were among those spending much more on lobbying in Q3 than a year earlier. Charter's lobbying expense was $1.99 million, vs. $980,000. Charter successfully acquired Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks in the interim. T-Mobile spent $2.17 million, up from $1.4 million.
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Sprint’s lobbying costs dropped again in Q3 compared with the other major wireless companies. The latest lobbying disclosure forms were due Thursday and showed Sprint spent $574,424, down from $713,843. Its spending has dropped across many recent quarters, but in this Q3, many telecom and media entities spent less. Q3 encompassed an unusually long Capitol Hill recess period of seven weeks and came ahead of the November election period, widely considered a lull in legislative activity and preceding the current October recess. Some forms, such as those for AT&T and Comcast, weren't available yet. Some tech firms also disclosed lobbying by our deadline (see 1610200054).
NAB, Verizon, Twenty-First Century Fox and Incompas were among those spending less. Last Q3, NAB spent $3.93 million, dropping to $3.77 million this one. Incompas, despite maintaining an active focus on such issues as the FCC set-top box proceeding, clocked $192,335, down from $300,000 a year ago. Verizon spent $2.18 million, down from $2.48 million last year. Twenty-First Century Fox spent $1.24 million, down from $1.44 million. The Competitive Carriers Association was down $20,000 to $130,000. NCTA also spent somewhat less, $2.91 million vs. $3.02 million.
Many associations and companies offered general descriptions of their lobbying focuses. Often, they addressed the same priorities and central pieces of telecom and media legislation. Sprint priorities for its three lobbyists were many of the FCC's prime agenda items. The report cited lobbying on business data services, broadband facility siting, 800 MHz rebanding, privacy, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and spectrum. It mentioned high-profile legislation including Mobile Now (S-2555) and the Kelsey Smith Act (HR-4889/S-2770), plus lobbying on patent overhaul and Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization.
Spending from iHeartMedia was up, at $1.1 million compared with $1.02 million. CBS spending dropped by $10,000 to $830,000. Level 3 spent $40,000 more, now at $210,000. U.S. Cellular, lobbying on USF and spectrum policy, was up by $20,000 in its $110,000 Q3 total. WTA also was up by $5,000, spending $85,000 this quarter and lobbying on everything from the set-top proposal’s effects on small companies to USF policy in Alaska. ITTA spending rose by more than $2,000, to $34,748. Windstream’s spending was unchanged at $140,000, as was TracFone Wireless’ at $270,000 and the American Cable Association’s at $150,000.
Spending remained steady for others. The Communications Workers of America spent $175,000 on lobbying, with one lobbyist focused on key telecom topics such as broadband deployment, spectrum auctions, business data services and the set-top rulemaking. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers “lobbied against the FCC's proposal on Set Top Boxes,” said its Q3 form, showing $112,665 in expenses. Writers Guild of America, West was up $20,000 in its $120,000 total, lobbying on net neutrality and set-top rules. Consumers Union spent $40,000, $10,000 less.
Disclosure forms also showcased recent personnel shake-ups. Ray Baum, a former top aide to House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., was listed among NAB’s many lobbyists. Jot Carpenter, who was chief lobbyist at CTIA, now filed on behalf of his own Carpenter Strategic Consulting. His forms showed the receipt of $20,000 from CTIA, $10,000 from AT&T and less than $5,000 from Verizon.