Cable, LFA Interests Remain Divided on Cable Channel Lineup NPRM
Cable and local government interests remain far apart on required advance notices of potential blackouts during carriage talks and on required service or rate change updates for local franchise authorities (LFA) (see 2002070003), in docket 19-347 replies this week. NCTA…
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and America's Communications Association said local governments wrongly suggest cable operators should notify subscribers about the possibility of programming blackouts during contract negotiations. ACA said a flood of such notices could make subscribers less likely to pay attention to notices of actual lost carriage. NCTA said if the agency keeps the LFA notification requirement -- which it and ACA called an anachronism from when LFAs regulated cable rates -- it should be limited to basic service tier rate increases. Local interests including the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Los Angeles, Boston and Portland, Oregon, said the FCC lacks legal authority to ax the 30-day notice requirement. They questioned whether ending notification will mean more carriage spats because of no pre-blackout incentive to negotiate. The municipalities asked the agency to end its 90-day LFA written request for notice distributions rule.