Media Bureau Sides With TWC in Effective Competition Petition Covering Parts of New York
The FCC Media Bureau agreed with Time Warner Cable that TWC is subject to effective competition in 27 New York communities. In an order released Thursday, the Media Bureau revoked any certifications to regulate basic cable service for those 27.…
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Maybrook, southwest of Poughkeepsie, filed an objection to TWC's petition. The village argued TWC hadn't provided any proof that Maybrook households "are reasonably aware of [direct broadcast service] providers' service availability," but the bureau said "reasonable awareness" of the availability of DirecTV and Dish Network is presumed. The bureau also dismissed Maybrook arguments that multichannel video programming distributor subscription rates in the village might not exceed 15 percent of the households in the franchise area -- that being the minimum penetration in the competing provider test. While TWC also had originally asked that the Village of Red Hook be part of its petition, it subsequently asked for consideration of that community to be withdrawn, which the bureau granted. The agency also has before it a variety of other TWC, Comcast and Mediacom petitions seeking declarations that various communities in Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Wisconsin and Washington are subject to effective competition.