Cable Access Advocates Lead in Spending on Lobbying
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LOS ANGELES — City lobbying reports for the second quarter of the year show the most lobbied project was the cable open access issue, with more than $2.8 million spent by those seeking to influence council members on the subject.
The second quarter ran from April 1 through June 30.
There were eight clients who paid lobbyists for work on the access issue. The largest was AT & T, which reported $1.5 million, according to the city’s Ethics Commission.
Although not considered a lobbyist, the organization Hands Off the Internet reported expenditures of $1.1 million on the subject.
In recent months, Hands Off the Internet has run several ads--some featuring consumer journalist David Horowitz--blasting the open access idea. A council decision on the issue is pending.
Behind cable access, the second-largest lobbying effort involved the Porter Ranch development, with $181,376 in expenses, the report said.
The third top lobbying project involved cellular antenna sites, with more than $136,000 spent.
In the previous quarter, the top lobbying project was also open access, and AT & T was also led in that category.
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