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Cable Lobby Tries To Make You Forget That It Represents Cable Companies (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The U.S. cable industry's biggest lobby group has dropped the word "cable" from its name in a rebrand focusing on its members' role as providers of both Internet and TV services. The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) will henceforth be called NCTA-The Internet and Television Association. NCTA will be maintained in the name as a nod to the group's past, even though the initials no longer stand for any particular words. "Just as our industry is witnessing an exciting transformation driven by technology and connectivity, NCTA's brand must reflect the vibrancy and diversity of our members," NCTA CEO Michael Powell (a former Federal Communications Commission chairman) said in today's announcement. The group's "mission to drive the industry forward remains the same," he said. This isn't the NCTA's first name change. The group began as the National Community Television Council in 1951 and then became the National Community Television Association in 1952, according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications. Despite dropping the word "cable," the NCTA's name change announcement makes reference to how cable companies are dominating the broadband market. Powell noted that the NCTA "represent[s] an industry that is America's largest and fastest home Internet provider." As it goes forward, the NCTA won't be the only telecom lobby group initialism that no longer stands for anything. The CTIA -- previously known as the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and then the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association -- is now just "CTIA-The Wireless Association."
A pig in a dress is still a pig. The only real question is whether it's a cross-dressing pig.
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
kind of like the kerosene lobby as the market contracted
changing the name won't change that basic fact
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
(NCTA) will henceforth be called NCTA-The Internet and Television Association
Just change the acronym to TITA, and get used to us all shortening it to "TIT".
'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
And also what really matters is what bathroom the pig goes into in North Carolina.
Cross-dressed pig or not, at least it's more dignified than Pat McCrory.
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BMO
Lobbyists get face time with politicians and funnel money via campaign financing. Do the citizens of the US get lobbyists to represent their needs on equal face time? No, of course not, therefore it should be illegal. Their only interest is profit and citizens interest is to affordable products and services. Sometimes there is a disconnect due to politicians only hearing one side of an argument. Not to mention conflict of interest such as an former FCC chairman working as a lobbyist (bought and paid for shill). The entire political process can be easily corrupted by either personal or industry driven greed.
I'd like to make them not exist, if they can help all the better.