FCC planning rule changes in cable, cross-ownership
David Johnson November 13th, 2007
Whoa, in the recent excitement, this one slipped by me.
The [FCC] is preparing to impose significant new regulations to open the cable television market to independent programmers and rival video services after determining that cable companies have become too dominant in the industry, senior commission officials said.
Also expected is yet another plan to relax ownership requirements of newspapers and television stations in the same markets. All of this and more may happen before the month is out.
Update: Chairman Kevin Martin just held a conference call to propose a “modest” reform of the media cross-ownership rule. “The rule changes would go some way to removing the regulatory obstacles to the completion of the sale of the Tribune Co. to real estate magnate Sam Zell,” explains Dow Jones.
2 Comments Add your own
1. Charles | November 13th, 2007 at 11:18 am
What really needs to be done is make cable companies offer a la carte programming.
2. Michael | November 13th, 2007 at 11:50 am
The problem with a la carte programming is that your favorite niche channel would get axed because you are 1 of about 10,000 people who watch the channel.
The packages are what allow cable companies to offer things like History International, Animal Planet and the Science Channel.
Personally, I’m willing to pay a few bucks extra to keep some of the channels I like that I know not a lot of other people are watching.
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