Host joining us this week is Meredith Attwell baker who is the new president and ceo of ctia. Tell us about the industy. Guest thank you for having me. It is great to be back representing this industy where everything is growing off of. We are the network operators, we build them, manufacture App Community and the new silicone valley. We are hoping to educate washington about that. Host as of today, what is the biggest industy facing yo your issue facing your industy . Guest i think the biggest problem is also going to be spectrum. It has been six years since having an auction. We have two coming up in the next couple years. The one starting in two days and we have the incentive auction coming next summer. They are fantastic. If we talk about the networks the phones are on that was coming from the aws1 auction that lasted last time. We will be working on spectrum for quite a while. Host are you satisfied with the progress especially on the ince incentive auction . Guest i was at the Co
This never ending sag baa that has wreaked such havoc on our infrastructure. Host whats the issue with consolidation in your view . Guest you have these Huge Companies who are not only in control of distribution, but of content too increasingly, and theyre getting hammer locked with an information infrastructure that we as a democracy rely upon to govern ourselves. And it has been a never ending tale. I went to the federal Communications Commission in 2001 not knowing that i was going to be spending, like, 75 of my time just listening to ceo afcee owe come in and say, well, youve got to let us get bigger because we have all of these efficiencies and economies were going to pass on to consumers. Have consumers seen any benefits on their cable bills from that consolidation . I think the average cable bill has gone up 4 a year since the middle of the 1990s, so consumers are paying dearly for it. And now were into not just traditional cable and media, but broadband too. This opportunity cr
Meredith Attwell Baker is the new presidd ceo of ctia, the wireless association. Commissioner, tell us about your association, who do you represent, what industry . Guest well, first of all, thanks for having me here. Its delightful to be back, especially now that i am representing this amazing industry that is really the platform where everything is growing off of. Who is ctia . We are not only the network operators, we are the people that build those networks, we are the manufacturers, and we have the App Community as well as the new Silicon Valley. We are, we are the connective life, and thats what ctia represents, and what we are hoping to educate washington about, and i just couldnt be any more thrilled to be with them. Host what is the Biggest Issue facing washington and your industry . Guest i think our top priority is always going to be spectrum. Spectrum is what the Wireless Industry needs, its what we run on. Its been six years wince receive had a since weve had a spectrum au
Here to discuss the media corporations. Michael copps and Robert Mcdowell. Mr. Copps, should the time warner and comcast merger go through . Guest absolutely not. It is against the interest of the consumers and it is another chapter in the consolidation chap chapter that is wreaking havoc. Host what is your issue with consolidation . You have companies in control of the news and information and we rely on this information to govern ourselves and it has been a never ending tail. I went to the commission in 2001 thought knowing i would be spending 75 of the time hearing the ceos coming in saying we have to get bigger because we have benefit for the consumers. Have consumers seen any benefits on the bills . The average bill is up 4 on cable so consumers are paying for it. And now we are not just into the traditional cable and media but broadbrand today and this should be creating a new era of media democracy and civic dialogue and it is going down the same road that radio, cable and telev
Now we are into not just traditional cable and media, but broadband. This opportunity creating an Dynamic Technology should be opening a new era of media democracy. Road going down the same radio and television and cable went down of consolidation. Treat atragic way to Dynamic Technology. Likes robert same question. Thank you for having us back. I think your viewers often know that while we have differences, we remained friends and cap the devil dialogue civil. Items we voted50 on, and we voted on them together. He is the only chair of which i have 100 voting record. Era. Ood im notr your question, here to advocate for or against. I think the deal will be approved. If you look at it through the antitrust lens, you dont have them taking out a competitor. It brings up of whether or not the fcc should be in the merger review business. Should you have Government Agencies reviewing this merger . Other mergers dont. Other industries dont have two agencies. It will happen. Of fcc is going to