Pictures from the Capitol: Mediacom vs Sinclair

Here's a few pics.

Two of Mr. Smith and Mr. Commisso talking after the hearing.

Mr. Faber and the press.

Mr. Pardini and the press.

Like Prof. Janet Keefer, I have "no dog in the hunt."

I am a Mediacom customer, and like many other Iowans, I just want to watch TV. Since I have had conversations with Scott Westerman, he has been "the face of Mediacom" for me, and I have had more patience about the situation.

My thanks to all the Mediacom people I met today who were gracious and answered all my questions - they know who they are. They are also the face of Mediacom.

I met David Smith and he was quite pleasant to share small talk with. Would I feel differently given a chance to know him and hear his side of the story? I'm not sure. He didn't share that much of himself in the hearing. Maybe it's how different parts of the country do business. I didn't get to meet Mr. Faber.

Live blogging is much different than collecting facts and sifting through the information and being able to verify it, etc. before writing a story. This is a collection of my thoughts about what I heard and felt as it was going on. So it's subject to change as each bit of information is heard and pondered.

In the end, we're all people just trying to get along. This reminds me of the New Orleans catastrophe. It seems like the people who get hurt the most are the ones who can least afford it. I really didn't think about that issue until today. I also knew it was difficult in rural Iowa to get services, but unless you have been there or lived there, or have relatives there, you might not understand. Many of us can vote with our feet, but what about the rest? Is this discrimination?

My message to companies is listen to your customers and respond! You might not like it sometimes and you may have to be transparent and accountable. It's the way of doing business today. Who are you listening to?

Oh yeah, thanks for listening to me. This was a great experience and I urge all citizens to get involved in something they feel passionate about and make their voices heard. If you want to talk about the power of blogging and new media, give me a call! It's fun to collaborate.