Cablevision spent $13.36M to defeat stadium

Cablevision spent $13.46 million in 2003 and 2004 in lobbying New York state government, according to a report released Wednesday by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit watchdog group. The bulk of the spending $13.36 million came in 2004, the same year, the center pointed out, that Cablevision, owner of Madison Square Garden, was trying to defeat the proposed far West Side stadium. The stadium was ultimately defeated after an unfavorable vote by a state board appointed by Gov. George Pataki, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and leaders of the state Legislature. Cablevision dwarfed all other telecommunications companies in lobbying state government in 2003 and 2004. (Verizon spent the second most just over $1 million.) In fact, Cablevision spent more on lobbying than every telecommunications firm in the nation except for SBC Communications, which shelled out more than $16 million in 2003 and 2004.