GNG News Guy
11-27-2007, 02:55 PM
http://i.dslr.net/urls/97/797.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Cable-Regulation-Vote-Delayed-89763)
Kevin Martin's FCC vote on whether to regulate the cable industry has been indefinitely delayed. Martin, eager to force cable operators to adopt "a la carte" pricing, planned to use a 1984 law to gain new regulatory authority over the cable industry. The law leaves cable open to regulation once cable service reaches 70% of the public, and 70% of those users subscribe.
However, nobody is sure those numbers have been met. Even fellow Conservative commissioners seem to think that Martin may have pulled the numbers from his political nether-regions. Industry experts agree (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/fcc-chairmans-cable-crackdown-resisted/story.aspx?guid=%7B22A8F869-CAC6-477B-8569-932BC899AAE6%7D&dist=MostTopHome):"Is cable available to 70% of U.S. households? Yes. Do 70% of those people subscribe to cable? Absolutely not," said Bruce Leichtman of The Leichtman Group, an independent firm that researches the TV and high-speed Internet markets. "It's not even an argument here. That's what is so appalling about this."
Commissioners wanted time to review the data, but complained Martin rushed them to a vote -- doing little to diminish Martin's growing reputation as an enemy of the cable sector. While Martin claims he's just fighting for lower TV prices, his asymmetrical policies stem from a political loyalty to indecency groups and ma Bell (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/Kevin-Martin-Doesnt-Hate-Cable-He-Just-Loves-Ma-Bell-89456).
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Cable-Regulation-Vote-Delayed-89763)
Kevin Martin's FCC vote on whether to regulate the cable industry has been indefinitely delayed. Martin, eager to force cable operators to adopt "a la carte" pricing, planned to use a 1984 law to gain new regulatory authority over the cable industry. The law leaves cable open to regulation once cable service reaches 70% of the public, and 70% of those users subscribe.
However, nobody is sure those numbers have been met. Even fellow Conservative commissioners seem to think that Martin may have pulled the numbers from his political nether-regions. Industry experts agree (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/fcc-chairmans-cable-crackdown-resisted/story.aspx?guid=%7B22A8F869-CAC6-477B-8569-932BC899AAE6%7D&dist=MostTopHome):"Is cable available to 70% of U.S. households? Yes. Do 70% of those people subscribe to cable? Absolutely not," said Bruce Leichtman of The Leichtman Group, an independent firm that researches the TV and high-speed Internet markets. "It's not even an argument here. That's what is so appalling about this."
Commissioners wanted time to review the data, but complained Martin rushed them to a vote -- doing little to diminish Martin's growing reputation as an enemy of the cable sector. While Martin claims he's just fighting for lower TV prices, his asymmetrical policies stem from a political loyalty to indecency groups and ma Bell (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/Kevin-Martin-Doesnt-Hate-Cable-He-Just-Loves-Ma-Bell-89456).
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Cable-Regulation-Vote-Delayed-89763)