1.   Ameritech and other cable competitors say they want Congress to step in to broaden program access requirements.

2.   A challenge by CNN would end a period of peace among potential cable competitors.

3.   Broadcast television is under siege by smaller cable competitors that are winning audiences while pushing adult content.

4.   But it was mitigated by an even stronger performance by cable competitor Fox News Channel, which tied CNN for the month in ratings for the first time.

5.   Current law is fuzzy on whether DBS companies can do that, even though their cable competitors can.

6.   EchoStar wanted provisions to guarantee that satellite companies would not have to pay more than their cable competitors in any market for the rights to retransmit local broadcasts.

7.   In addition, cable competitor Fox News Channel has been gaining ground on CNN.

8.   Losing him to a cable competitor -- such as the faltering MSNBC or Fox News -- would hurt CNN.

9.   MSNBC and Fox have been fighting to gain pre-eminence as a cable competitor to CNN.

10.   Networks and print organizations, cable news executives note, are fueled by the constant scandal updates available from their cable competitors.