From: frank.kennedy@u2u.lonestar.org (Frank Kennedy)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Subject: IONA-1
Date: 3 Sep 92 00:17:00 GMT
Reply-To: frank.kennedy@u2u.lonestar.org (Frank Kennedy)
Organization: USER-TO-USER PCBoard (214)492-6565 (USR DS v32bis)


 From : Iona Palmater               1:366/2                 27 Aug 92  20:02:20
 To   : All                                                 29 Aug 92  13:18:22
 Subj : LETTER FROM TVA TO NCTA

     TVA                                             Television Viewers
                                                             of America
                             Immediate Release

                         1730 K. Street N. W. #304
                         Washington, D. C. 20006
                         Telephone:  (202) 508-1450


           August 27, 1992                    AN OPEN LETTER TO:


     Mr. James Mooney, President National Cable Television Association
     1727 Mass. Ave., N.W.
     Washington, D. C. 20036

     Dear Mr. Mooney:

          Granted, your industry has some of the most self-serving,
     buccaneering, wheeler-dealers in American commerce:   TCI's officers
     shuffling corporate assets in and out of their pockets, serving as
     directors (and hopefully, borrowers) for BCCI from corporations.
     Time-Warner executives paying themselves tens upon tens of millions of
     dollars in annual compensation.   Such facts are well known.

          MONOPOLY, MONEY AND MUSCLE!  Using all three, your industry would
     make the robber barons of old blush in shame; just ask the good
     citizens of Morganton, NC or other localities with the will to fight
     to overcome cable TV's market abuse.

          Now your industry is deliberately, flat-out lying to your
     customers, using the imprimatur of the U. S. Commerce Department.  The
     cable TV industry cooked up phony data, passed it through the hapless
     hacks in the bureaucracy and BINGO:  your disingenuous, downright-
     false ads (boxed off for added emphasis) claiming:  "The U.S.
     Department of Commerce estimates this legislation could mean increased
     costs of $23 to $51 per year for each cable subscriber."

          SHAME!  Thank God for the expose of yesterday in the Washington
     Post.

          The cable TV industry knows that the Cable TV Consumer Protection
     and Competition Act of 1992 will lower costs to consumers because it
     will give the local elected officials the power again to hold down
     your monopoly-induced-continually-rising-costs-to-the-consumer; it
     will breakup your industry's restraint of trade in the sale of
     programming, as a result of cable TV buying up, or into, the companies
     producing the news, sports and entertainment viewed by 60 million
     American families.

          I know with an industry that has been gouging monopoly profits
     from its customers, averaging over 50% a year, it is difficult to give
     up such a government-gifted bonanza.  I understand, also, that after
     being beaten 4 to 1 in both the U. S. Senate and House the temptation
     is strong to cheat, to add some statistical steroids to your
     arguments,  But, hold fast to the truth:   RECANT THE LIES in your
     advertisements to the American people.  Win, lose, or draw, your
     industry will hold its head a bit higher and gain a measure of needed
     respect.

     With Regards and Respect,

            /s/

     Gary Frink, President

                  a Public Interest Consumer Organization
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