Comcast Gets Rate Deregulation in Washington Communities
Seven Washington state communities can't regulate Comcast basic cable rates because the company is subject to effective competition there, the FCC Media Bureau said in an order Thursday. It rejected opposition from the cities of Burien and Kent that direct…
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broadcast satellite doesn't affect the rates of cable providers and the FCC should look at its policies on DBS competition, saying the cities are ignoring both statute and years of agency precedent. It also rejected the cities' arguments that DBS providers aren't comparable to cable since they lack public, educational and governmental access channels, saying the comparable programming test of competing providers doesn't include a PEG requirement. The bureau rejected the cities' argument that the Comcast petition failed to demonstrate it was in the public interest, saying a public interest showing isn't required. The order covers roughly 120,000 households, with the largest communities being Federal Way and Kent.