Cable's Dispute With Programmers On Hold Until Next Administration

Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said Thursday that the agency won't be able to rule during his waning tenure on a cable programming dispute that pits Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and other cable operators against several independent programmers. At issue are complaints by independent programmers, including the NFL Network, WealthTV and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, that their channels have been unfairly treated by some cable operators. Those cable companies have been accused of refusing to carry their channels or placing them on a harder to find specialty tiers. Asked about the status of the cable complaint, Martin said, "I don't think that the bureau is going to act within the next 10 days before there's any kind of a change." He spoke with reporters after giving a speech at the American Enterprise Institute. Martin said the staff-level investigators at the agency will continue to work on the cable complaint after President-elect Barack Obama takes office and names an interim FCC chairman.