Vest Returning to Lobby for NCTA

Veteran media lobbyist Steve Vest is returning to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association to serve as top deputy to Gail MacKinnon, incoming senior vice president of government relations, according to sources who asked not to be identified.

Vest had been vice president of congressional affairs at NCTA in October 2003, when he was named vice president of congressional affairs for Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. He later moved to Bracewell & Giuliani, the government-relations firm headed by former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

MacKinnon and Vest are expected to begin at NCTA as soon as next week. An NCTA spokesman declined to comment on a personnel matter.

Vest was not immediately available to comment. Prior to his lobbying career, Vest was an aide to Reps. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) and Thomas Manton (D-N.Y.).