Comcast boosts lobbying effort with Washington hire

Boosting its lobbying muscle, Comcast Corp. has hired Washington insider Mitch Rose to head its NBCUniversal government affairs department, the cable company said Friday.

Rose, a former aide to the chairman of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee, will report directly to Comcast's David Cohen, who heads one of the most potent corporate lobbyist teams in Washington.

The new top-level lobbyist arrives as Comcast faces a tough regulatory review at the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department of its proposed $45.2-billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable Inc. and early discussions among lawmakers of the need to overhaul the nation's telecommunications laws. The last overhaul was in 1996.

Among the legislative issues in a potential overhaul are retransmission fees that TV stations charge cable operators to carry their programming, constantly rising pay-TV bills and Internet streaming.

Comcast acquired NCBUniversal, the entertainment and news giant that owns the NBC TV network and cable channels, in 2011.

"This is the busiest the FCC has been in years while simultaneously there is talk in Congress of revisiting the basic telecommunications laws of the country," said John Bergmayer, senior staff attorney for the nonprofit advocacy group Public Knowledge. "These are very important issues to Comcast and [Rose] has his work cut out for him."

Robert M. McDowell, a former FCC commissioner and now partner at the K Street law firm of Wiley Rein L.L.P., said yesterday that Rose, a Republican, could work with both Republicans and Democrats and "will be a formidable advocate for Comcast."

In another indication that Comcast has been strengthening its lobbying team, the cable-TV giant announced last month that it promoted five Washington staffers to vice presidents: Rudy N. Brioche, Lindsey Dickinson, David Don, Jordan Goldstein and Sam Lancaster.

The company says the promotions were disclosed internally in March.

Comcast's $18.8 million in expenditures on lobbying in 2013 was seventh-highest among all entities, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Rose fills the role at Comcast held by Meredith Atwell Baker, a former FCC commissioner. Baker left Comcast earlier this year to head the wireless trade association.

Like Baker, Rose is a Republican. He served as chief of staff for former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, chairman of the Commerce Committee that wields enormous influence over broadcast and cable-TV issues.

Stevens made it known that he wanted Rose to head the National Association of Broadcasters in 2005. Rose, then a lobbyist for the Walt Disney Co., was passed over.

"He's a real pro at lobbying," said Preston Padden, the former executive vice president of government affairs at Disney. "He knows how to push and he knows when to not push too much." In 2006, he opened the Mitch Rose Strategic Consulting firm.

Comcast and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association have been two of the Rose firm's biggest clients, according to the Center for Responsive Politics website, opensecrets.org.

Rose was traveling and not available for an interview on Friday, Comcast said.

Rose's "deep knowledge of the legislative process and industry experience along with his exceptional relationships on Capitol Hill and across Washington brings Comcast and NBCUniversal the perfect combination of skills," Cohen, a Comcast executive vice president, said in a statement.

bfernandez@phillynews.com

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