NCTA and a member lobbied the FCC against extending what...
NCTA and a member lobbied the FCC against extending what they call dual-carriage rules now set to expire June 12 (CD April 18 p15), which broadcasters want renewed. Executives from Bright House Networks and the NCTA each had a meeting…
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with front-office staffers in the Media Bureau and Office of General Counsel staff, ex parte filings in docket 98-120 show (http://xrl.us/bm4iaj). The Communications Act says a signal delivered on a cable system is “'viewable’ if it is capable of being viewed using readily available equipment,” NCTA said of a requirement that TV stations guaranteed cable distribution be sent in HD and standard definition on some systems. “While there is no evidence that requiring signals to be carried in analog as well as digital format carriage is necessary to further any important government interest, such additional analog carriage imposes substantial additional burdens on cable operators’ protected speech,” the association said (http://xrl.us/bm4ia2). “Extending the rule beyond its three-year limit would raise serious First Amendment problems under strict or intermediate scrutiny.” The dual carriage rule makes it harder for Bright House to manage its spectrum, the company said (http://xrl.us/bm4ibe). “Dual Carriage goes well beyond the original must carry mandate -- because it requires duplicate and inefficient carriage."