“The Cable Industry: Hardwiring Influence,” a fact sheet in our Connect the Dots research series, highlights how the cable television industry has used campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures to influence actions taken at the local, county and state level in New York. The three cable television market leaders, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision and Verizon, along with Cable PAC, an industry political action committee, invest heavily in campaign contributions. Over the last 10 years, these 4 cable industry donors have contributed almost $4.3 million dollars to New York candidates and political parties, while spending over $24 million to lobby local and state officials since 2005.

1. The Cable TV Industry: Hardwiring Influence November 2008 A “Connect the Dots” Report

6. The New York State Cable Market “The Big Three” Source: NYS Public Service Commission www.commoncause.org/ny Cable Company New Franchises Awarded (Jan 2005 – July 2008) Franchise Renewals (Jan 2005 – July 2008) Adams CATV 1 3 50 Empire Video Services Corporation 19 Haefele TV 6 Hilltop Communications (Valstar) 1 Midtel Cable TV 7 1 255 122 Grand Total 145 320

7. NYS Counties With Greatest Volume of Cable Franchise Agreements Source: NYS Public Service Commission www.commoncause.org/ny County Franchise Renewals (Jan 2005 – July 2008) Nassau 49 Westchester 31 Rockland 18 Suffolk 12 Erie 8 County New Franchises Awarded (Jan 2005 – July 2008) Schoharie 21 Steuben 18 Chautauqua 15 Ostego 12 Saratoga 12

9. Top NYS Legislative Recipients, Overall www.commoncause.org/ny ASSEMBLY CABLE PAC CABLEVISION TIME WARNER CABLE VERIZON Grand Total Friends of Richard L. Brodsky (D) $1,750 $7,600 $3,600 $12,950 Friends of Silver (D) $1,500 $1,000 $1,000 $6,500 $10,000 Friends of Tom DiNapoli (D) $300 $6,400 $800 $7,500 GRAND TOTAL $3,550 $15,000 $1,000 $10,900 $30,450 SENATE CABLE PAC CABLEVISION TIME WARNER CABLE VERIZON Grand Total Friends for the Election of Dean Skelos (R) $5,200 $32,750 $7,100 $20,800 $65,850 Friends of Nick Spano Committee (R) $8,100 $18,110 $4,500 $4,500 $35,210 Friends of Jim Wright (R) $2,500 $6,430 $13,350 $22,280 GRAND TOTAL $15,800 $57,290 $11,600 $38,650 $123,340

10. NYS Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions www.commoncause.org/ny CABLE PAC CABLEVISION TIME WARNER CABLE VERIZON Grand Total Citizens for Hannon (R) $500 $8,333 $4,500 $500 $13,833 Friends of John Flanagan (Chair, R) $650 $5,650 $4,500 $1,750 $12,550 Caesar Trunzo (R) $1,550 $2,800 $4,500 $8,850 Committee to Elect Maziarz State Senate (R) $1,300 $500 $1,000 $4,500 $7,300 Friends of Senator Gonzalez (D) $300 $132 $656 $1,087 Grand Total $4,000 $17,583 $14,632 $7,406 $43,620

11. NYS Assembly Corporations, Authorities and Commissions www.commoncause.org/ny CABLE PAC CABLEVISION TIME WARNER CABLE VERIZON Grand Total Friends of Richard L. Brodsky (Chair, D) $1,750 $7,600 $3,600 $12,950 Friends of Carl E Heastie(D) $2,325 $1,400 $3,725 People for Brodsky (D) $1,250 $600 $1,850 Friends of Vivian E. Cook (D) $1,400 $1,400 Friends of Andrew Raia (R) $1,250 $1,250 Friends of Jim Brennan (D) $1,150 $1,150 Committee to Elect Bacalles to NYS Assembly (R) $1,050 $1,050 Hevesi for Assembly (D) $1,000 $1,000 People for Jeffries (D) $250 $500 $750 Linda Rosenthal for Assembly (D) $500 $500 Friends of Will Barclay (R) $250 $250 $500 Friends of Joan Millman (D) $500 $500 Citizens for Ginny Fields (D) $450 $450 Friends of Catherine Nolan (D) $200 $200 Friends of Steve Hawley (R) $16 $16 Grand Total $3,600 $14,525 $500 $9,016 $27,291

12. Candidates for Governor www.commoncause.org/ny Recipient CABLE PAC CABLEVISION TIME WARNER CABLE VERIZON Grand Total Spitzer Paterson 2006 (D) $33,906 $64,500 $98,406 Friends of Pataki (R) $36,250 $19,500 $5,000 $10,000 $70,750 Paterson for Governor, Inc. (D) $40,300 $40,300 Friends of John Faso (R) $2,000 $9,300 $10,000 $21,300 Friends of McCall/Mehiel (D) $2,500 $5,000 $10,000 $17,500 GRAND TOTAL $74,656 $138,600 $5,000 $30,000 $248,256

13. Local Candidates * Senator-elect in Long Island 3 rd district. www.commoncause.org/ny Office Recipient CABLEVISION TIME WARNER CABLE VERIZON Grand Total County Executive Friends of Steve Levy (D-Suffolk) $24,600 $24,600 County Executive Friends of Andy Spano (D-Westchester) $22,000 $22,000 County Executive Friends of Tom Souzzi(Nassau-D) $17,500 $17,500 Supervisor Citizens for Brian Foley (D-Brookhaven) * $3,700 $3,700 Mayor Friends of Bob Duffy (D-Rochester) $2,500 $2,500 Supervisor Kate Murray for Supervisor (R-Hempstead) $1,125 $1,125 Supervisor Friends of Joan Pagones (R-Fishkill) $999 $999 Supervisor Friends of Frank Petrone (D-Huntington) $900 $900 Supervisor Friends of Pat Vecchio (R-Smithtown) $875 $875 County Legislator Friends of Jon Cooper (D-Suffolk) $625 $625 County Legislator Lindsay for Legislature (D-Suffolk) $575 $575 County Legislator Friends of Wayne R. Horsley (D-Suffolk) $350 $350 County Legislator Friends of Rick Montano (D-Suffolk) $300 $300 County Legislator Friends of Steve Stern (D-Suffolk) $250 $250 Mayor Mayor Brown’s Leadership Council (D-Buffalo) $100 $100

15. Cablevision’s Concentrated Focus www.commoncause.org/ny County New Franchises Awarded (Jan 2005 – July 2008) Franchise Renewals (Jan 2005 – July 2008) Westchester 10 Dutchess 7 Nassau 6 Rockland 4 Montgomery 4 Columbia 1 3 Suffolk 3 Orange 3 Essex 2 Putnam 2 Ulster 1 1 Albany 1 Greene 1 Steuben 1 Fulton 1 Sullivan 1 Grand Total 3 49

16. NYS Political Party Accounts www.commoncause.org/ny CABLE PAC CABLEVISION TIME WARNER CABLE VERIZON Grand Total NYS Senate Republican Campaign Committee - Housekeeping $220,770 $550,000 $273,100 $1,043,870 NYS Democratic Committee (Housekeeping) $50,000 $335,000 $78,000 $463,000 NY Republican State Committee - Housekeeping $33,863 $35,000 $345,500 $414,363 Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee - Housekeeping $7,383 $75,000 $182,000 $264,383 NYS Senate Republican Campaign Committee $7,200 $134,150 $15,350 $156,700 Democratic Senate Campaign Committee - Housekeeping $10,500 $50,000 $46,324 $106,824 NYS Democratic Senate Campaign Committee $736 $57,000 $250 $1,000 $58,986 Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee $11,895 $34,300 $500 $5,000 $51,695 Working families Party $45,000 $237 $45,237 NYS Republican Committee – Reporting $1,000 $25,000 $26,000 Republican Assembly Campaign Committee Housekeeping Account $1,000 $21,300 $22,300 NYS Democratic Committee $1,000 $16,500 $17,500 Republican Assembly campaign Committee $6,975 $10,500 $17,475 GRAND TOTAL $388,347 $1,295,925 $25,750 $978,311 $2,688,333

18. Cable Industry Lobbying Expenditures * Over 85% of Cablevision’s lobbying expenditures were recorded between January and July of 2005. Even after removing this outlier, the cable industry still racked up $11.7 million in lobbying expenses since January 2005. www.commoncause.org/ny Cable Industry Lobbying Expenditures January 2005 – July 2008 Cable Telecommunications Assoc of NY $2,096,004 Cablevision* $14,408,527 Time Warner Cable $429,984 Verizon $7,406,748 GRAND TOTAL $24,341,263

19. So, who wins?