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Does Murdoch Own Sen. Ted Stevens?

As chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is pushing legislation that could give the satellite company "a huge advantage over the cable TV industry," according to Alaska Report. Which is why the publication asks: Does Rupert Murdoch's DirecTV own Senator Ted Stevens? Stevens has not explained why he supports the legislation, but reporter Phillip Swann notes that "nearly 10 percent of the senator's 2005-2006 individual campaign contributions have come from employees of companies owned by Murdoch." In return for the largesse, Stevens is the sponsor of a telecommunications bill that would require cable TV operators to carry all digital TV signals from local stations, known as "must-carry." If it becomes law, Swann adds, it would give the "satellite TV operators more flexibility in what channels and services they want to offer."

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