Martin Sets August Agenda for FCC

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin wants the agency to adopt rules on August 22 that would exempt small cable operators from certain obligations to carry local TV stations in both analog and digital formats. The relief is expected to cover cable systems with up to 2,500 subscribers that are owned by cable companies that serve no more than 10% of pay-TV subscribers nationally -- a test that theoretically includes just about every cable company except Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Chairman Martin has been working closely with the American Cable Association, a trade group for small cable companies, on new TV station carriage rules. The TV station carriage relief would extend to eligible cable operators that continue to distribute programming over analog and digital platforms. The FCC's new rules would relate to cable carriage of TV stations that demand carriage under their so-called must carry rights. Cable operators with systems eligible for FCC relief would be required to carry TV stations only in analog during the three-year exemption. The FCC tentative agenda also includes consideration of the following issues: cellphone roaming; a freeze on new wireless-microphone licenses in the 700-megahertz band; dialing 911; and universal service administration. Chairman Martin also said the text of the order approving the XM Satellite Radio-Sirius Satellite Radio merger could be out as early as Tuesday.