ACA Urges FCC to Grant Dual-Carriage Waivers to Smaller Systems

The American Cable Association asked the Federal Communications Commission to deny the request by broadcasters that the Commission not grant smaller cable systems waivers from its dual-carriage rule. The FCC voted last fall to require cable systems to carry TV stations in both analog and digital if that's what it takes to deliver a viewable signal after the transition to digital. Cable operators had earlier been required to deliver high-definition (HD) signals in HD. The ACA, in a filing with the FCC opposing the request by the National Association of Broadcasters and the Association for Maximum Service Television, said the waiver policy was in the public interest. "Considering the number of channels devoured by programming and retransmission-consent tying and bundling, a significant number of these low-capacity systems are channel-locked or close to channel-locked and do not have capacity for new broadband and other advanced services," the ACA argued.
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