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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: 11-14-03

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