BRIEFS

Cable World, Jan 20, 2003

YAEGER UPPED AT TW

Time Warner Cable promoted Lynn M. Yaeger to EVP of corporate affairs, making her one of the cable industry's highest-ranked women and one of only a handful of corporate affairs executives to be raised to that level. Yaeger, who had been SVP, oversees government relations, public affairs policy, corporate communications and community relations.

HOLLINGS LOOKS AGAIN FOR SAFE HARBOR

For the fourth time in the last decade, Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.), the outgoing Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has introduced a safe harbor bill regarding TV viewing during family hours. The Children's Protection from Violent Programming Act would shield America's children from what Hollings called the "well-documented, ill-effects of television violence." The bill would require the FCC to define both violent programming and the safe harbor time period, and to study whether the V-Chip and content-based ratings system are effectively protecting children from the harms associated with their exposure to violent television programming. It's uncertain how cable programs could be impacted by this bill, according to a Senate staffer.

STARZ'S JACOBSON HEADS FOR THE HILL

Starz Encore Group's top publicist Paul E. Jacobson has become deputy communications director for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). Before his tenure in the media and sports businesses, Jacobson served as deputy press secretary for former Senate GOP leader Robert Dole and then as Dole's New England spokesman during his 1988 presidential candidacy.

CHARTER'S DEBT DOWNGRADED

Moody's Investors Services cut ratings on several issues of Charter Communication's debt, based on the increasing likelihood that the MSO will restructure its heavy debt load. In a report, Moody's attributed the downgrades to the "growing possibility" of credit losses for bondholders in the event of a debt restructuring. While Charter's topline operating performance has been in line with expectations, higher expenses and churn to satellite have hurt cash flow growth, and that weakness may worsen, further limiting the company's financial flexibility.