Form 325 Sees No Fans as Cable Industry Pushes to Eliminate It
Video distributors and allies are in lockstep wanting the FCC to eliminate Form 325 reporting requirements. ITTA and the American Cable Association in docket 17-290 comments this week said most of the information requested by 325 hasn't been recently used…
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in any major policy decisions, and the information the agency has used is available from other sources. ACA said the form's data -- asked only of cable operators -- is of shrinking value to evaluating the video market given cable's shrinking slice of that pie. It said short of eliminating the reporting requirements, the FCC should no longer require it of cable operators with fewer than 20,000 subscribers. ITTA said supports the NPRM tentative conclusions (see 1711160054) the form no longer should include channel lineup information, available elsewhere, or modem and telephony data, also being collected on Form 477. ITTA said if the agency retains the document, it could "alleviate its burdensomeness" by staggering the filings so smaller systems file only every five years rather than via random sampling and by establishing a fixed filing date so as to give abundant notice. ITTA said if 325 is retained, the FCC should automatically designate some sections as confidential since the information often has confidentiality requests. NCTA said 325 is "a prime example of unnecessary regulatory burden." Verizon said if the FCC needs similar information for a regulatory or reporting purpose, it can ask providers on an as-needed basis. Replies are due Feb. 27 (see 1712110009).