More cable news from across the Web:
> The city of Seattle has agreed to a 10-year non-exclusive franchise deal with Comcast. Seattle Times story
> Howard Stern, who is enjoying re-discovered relevance as an interviewer of cultural icons, has re-upped his SiriusXM satellite radio contract for 12 years. Deadline Hollywood story
> Prolific reality television producer Mark Burnett has been named president of MGM's TV and digital division. Wall Street Journal story
> An ex-girlfriend of 92-year-old media mogul Sumner Redstone has filed suit, claiming he is being manipulated in his affairs. Fortune story
> A new study from the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA), an industry advocacy group, found that after factoring in the cost of a mobile data plan and a home broadband connection, the average American household saves $11,944 per year on spending because of their access to the Internet. Article
> A group of six Republican senators have appealed to the FCC asking the agency to stop promoting government-owned broadband networks at the expense of private providers and to allow states to regulate these networks. Specifically, the letter says that the FCC and agency officials have been "engaged in outreach" to persuade communities to deploy municipal broadband networks. Article
> Qualcomm said it will remain a single business, finally putting to rest speculation that it would split its chipset and licensing businesses. Article
> Walter Piecyk of BTIG Research downgraded Verizon from buy to neutral, opining in a research note that the nation's largest wireless carrier is unlikely to dramatically grow its revenues anytime soon. Article
And finally… Apple has opened up a new research lab, just down the road from the Foxconn manufacturing plant, in Northern Taiwan. Fortune story