Efforts by Communications Today Thursday to reach officials at Cox's Atlanta headquarters, as of press time, were not successful. However, immediately following the Bodenheimer press conference, National Cable Television Association President Robert Sachs issued a prepared statement generally defending the industry and the upward trend in cable rates. He said cable prices reflect a variety of cost factors that have "increasingly made cable a better product and consumer value." Such factors include increased cost of labor to deliver and support services, the rising cost of programming, capital investment in technology, and interest to service that investment.

"ESPN's economic study oversimplifies the economics of cable TV, Sachs said. "Delivery of popular channels such as ESPN depends upon infrastructure, personnel and programming investment. But when sports programming fees have increased significantly year-to-year due to soaring player salaries and TV rights, it's impossible to ignore these costs as a contributing factor in cable price increases." For more on this still-developing story, be sure to read the next edition of Communications Today's sister publication Telecom Policy Report, the industry's leading source for in-depth analysis and behind-the-scenes investigative reporting. To sign up for a free four-week trial subscription to TPR, go to http://www.TelecomWeb.com , click on the "newsstand" and then click on Telecom Policy Report.