Cable Giants Pull Funding for Dinner Honoring FCC Commissioner

[unhappycamper]

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/08/15/cable-giants-pull-funding-dinner-honoring-fcc-commissioner



Cable Giants Pull Funding for Dinner Honoring FCC Commissioner
Max Ocean, editorial intern
Friday, August 15, 2014

Following critical reporting this week of cable and broadband giants Comcast and Time Warner Cable funding a dinner honoring FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn—one of the regulators reviewing the companies’ proposed $45-billion-dollar merger—the two companies decided Thursday to pull the combined $132,000 they had committed to the event.

Comcast, in addition to pulling the $110,000 that it had committed, is requesting that there be no recognition of the company at the dinner, according to a letter (PDF) from Comcast's Vice President of Community Investment Charisse Lillie to the foundation putting on the event. To make up for the pulling of its funding, Lillie added, Comcast "will instead make an unrestricted contribution to the Kaitz Foundation in the amount of $110,000 so that the Foundation can continue its important work."

According to Politico, Time Warner spokesman Bobby Amirshahi said that the company had informed the Walter Kaitz Foundation via phone of its decision to follow Comcast's lead and pull their $22,000 contribution.

The Kaitz Foundation is an industry-funded not-for-profit that "seeks to advance the contributions of women and multi-ethnic professionals in cable," according to its website.