<PAGE>

EXHIBIT 31 (a)

I, John Whetzell certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Northland Cable
      Properties Seven Limited Partnership;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
      make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
      statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
      this quarterly report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
      material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
      flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
      quarterly report;

4.    The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant
      and we have:

            a)    Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                  such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
                  to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
                  made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
                  during the period in which this quarterly report is being
                  prepared;

            b)    Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                  controls and procedures and presented in this report our
                  conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
                  and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
                  report based on such evaluation; and

            c)    Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
                  internal controls over financial reporting that occurred
                  during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has
                  materially affected, or is reasonably likely to affect, the
                  registrant's internal controls over financial reporting; and

5.    The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
      our most recent evaluation of internal controls over financial reporting,
      to the registrant's auditors and board of directors:

            a)    All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design or operation of internal controls over financial
                  reporting, which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
                  registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
                  financial information; and

            b)    Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  registrant's internal controls over financial reporting.

DATE: 8-14-06

/s/ JOHN S. WHETZELL
    -----------------------------------
    John S. Whetzell
    Chief Executive Officer