BRIEFS

CABLEWORLD STAFF

Twelve senators sent a letter last Thursday asking the FCC to slow down its media ownership rule-making process. In a bipartisan missive, moderate Republicans such as Olympia Snowe (Maine), Conservatives such as Trent Lott (Miss.) and Democrats led by Fritz Hollings (S.C.) asked the FCC to give the public and Congress a chance to review the ideas they are proposing in rules affecting the network ownership cap, the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership ban and others, before they vote. FCC Chairman Michael Powell has set a date of June 2 for that vote. Bill Bailey, a staffer for John McCain (R-Ariz.), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, told reporters at NAB that McCain ?thinks it's an important issue and that, as such, we should be informed. He wants to make sure the committee is fully informed.?

Showtime Networks and Comcast signed a new affiliation agreement covering 21 million subscribers, including those formerly with AT&T Broadband. The agreement covers Showtime, the Movie Channel, Flix, Showtime HDTV and the company's multiplex channels, plus its on-demand services. Since its acquisition of AT&T Broadband, Comcast has said it will seek reductions in programming costs, but terms of the Showtime deal were not disclosed. Comcast is also in negotiations with HBO.

WideOpenWest has spun off its Denver-area overbuild property to the company's founding brothers, allowing the current management to concentrate solely on running the Midwestern cable properties it bought from Ameritech in 2001. The new company will be called Champion Broadband.

HGTV is producing PSAs in support of its biggest public affairs initiative to date, springing from its series Restore America. The PSAs shot in Manhattan feature Ali McGraw, Al Roker and Bryant Gumbel, among others, and celebrate restoration efforts at ten historic U.S. sites.

A bill to limit the ability of Iowa cities to operate cable TV franchises has been shelved by the state Senate. The proposal from Sen. Chuck Larson (R-Cedar Rapids) would have created what Larson called a ?level playing field? between municipalities and cable operators.