Cable and phone firms reprised familiar themes in reply comments ...
Cable and phone firms reprised familiar themes in reply comments for the annual FCC report on video programming competition. “The legacy cable franchising process” hampers entry, SBC said. NCTA parried: “Telephone company claims about the inadequate state of video…
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competition are inaccurate and their corresponding pleas for special regulatory advantages are unavailing.” In previous comments, a rare point of accord between cable and Bells was that consumers will benefit from competition (CD Sept 21 p8). Cable firms including Cox and Insight said retransmission consent boosts basic tier rates: “Use of retransmission consent to launch, and enhance distribution of, broadcaster-owned channels” has raised costs, they said. The ACA said the imposition of retransmission fees of as much as $1 per subscriber monthly could add $1 billion-plus to basic cable costs. Rural phone firms selling pay TV face a “challenge” in getting “access to necessary video content at reasonable rates and under reasonable terms,” OPASTCO said.