Western Show - Top Execs Sound Off on Key Cable Issues

LOS ANGELES -- Kicking off the Western Show here, cable industry leaders sounded off on government intervention, competition, sliding share prices, and programming issues in a wide-ranging panel discussion led by veteran journalist and author Ken Auletta.

The hot-button issue for the panel, which included Barry Diller, chairman and CEO, USA Networks, Dr. John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media, Dan Somers, President and CEO, AT&T Broadband, and Michael Willner, president and CEO, Insight Communications, was government intervention in the affairs of the media business, a topic precipitated by the extensive FTC review period for the pending Time Warner- AOL merger.

As media consolidation accelerates, the more issues there are, Diller said.

As more outlets are controlled by fewer companies, the worry is that it will become harder and harder for the smaller or independent voices to be heard. That does not mean that government should become the final authority on who or what companies get to join forces, Malone said.

"We have to be careful a review doesn't become so convoluted" that it will cause extensive delays in the approval process, he added.

William Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, was also scheduled to speak before the packed audience, but cancelled at the last minute for personal reasons.